page_title: Okir
section_title: Maranao
hierarchical_section_title: Okir / Elements and motifs / Maranao
caption_attribution_description: English: Bangsamoro and Lumad Cultures Gallery, Museum of the Filipino People, Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.
context_page_description: Okir or okil is the term for geometric and flowing plant-based designs and folk motifs that can be usually found among the Moro and Lumad peoples of the Southern Philippines, as well as parts of Sabah. It is particularly associated with the artwork of the Maranao and Sama people, although it can also be found to a lesser extent among neighboring Maguindanao, Iranun, Tausug, Yakan, and Lumad groups. The design elements vary among these ethnic groups, with the greatest refinement being found among the Maranao.
context_section_description: Maranao okir motifs are so stylized that it is often easy to tell whether a carving is Maranao or not. Other ethnic groups usually introduce other elements or motifs that are non-traditional to the original Maranao okir designs. In the past, okir designs, particularly for textiles, are distinctive enough that a Maranao can usually distinguish which region someone is from based only on the patterns of their malong and their woven decorative strips (langkit).
  Maranao okir can be divided into two traditions, the predominantly curvilinear "male" okir-a-dato, and the predominantly geometric "female" okir-a-bai. Unlike Sama okil, okir designs are deliberately stylized when depicting living things, due to Islamic beliefs against idolatry. Traditional creatures featured in okir are the naga (sea serpent) and the sarimanok (feminine papanok, a rooster-like bird with a fish in its beak and another fish in its claws). The naga is common in the panolong designs, while sarimanok are usually placed on top of poles during celebrations. Other creature motifs traditionally depicted in okir include crocodiles, parrots, grasshopper heads, and swallowtails. After contact with other cultures, okir has also depicted non-native animals, including lions, peacocks, and elephants. 
  The most common individual elements of okir include the following:
  Male (okir-a-dato)
  Dapal or raon - a leaf
  Dianawi - a pattern resembling a nawi, a bladed carpenter's tool
  Gaglat - a pattern resembling a glat, a small kitchen knife
  Kianoko - fingernail-like patterns
  Matilak - a circle
  Naga - a sea serpent in the shape of an 'S'
  Onga - fruit
  Pako - a fern frond or a spiral
  Pako lawi - a fern frond resembling a rooster feather
  Pako longat - a fern frond with a cut at one edge
  Pako nai - a fern frond with two or more cuts on one edge
  Piowas - betel nut seed
  Potyok - a bud
  Todi - a flower
  Female (okir-a-bai)
  Olan-olan - a circle or moon
  Biangon - rectangle
  Pialang - square
  Katimbuang - diamond
  Onsod - zigzag
  These elements can be put together to create motifs. Some examples include:
  Male
  Armalis - a combination of a fern, leaf, and bud
  Birdo - a motif of combined complex designs propagating horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
  Magoyoda - a motif of simple elements repeating horizontally
  Niaga - a motif which features the naga along with todi designs of leaves, vines, and flowers
  Obid-obid or tiali-tali - rope-like designs that are usually used for borders
  Pako rabong - a motif of a fern growing vertically, with a central point from which the design radiates outwards
  Female
  Binotoon - star patterns
  Pinagapat - four-sided designs in a series
  Pinatola -  a pattern of squares of different colors
  Saragonting - a cross
  Complete designs using these motifs are usually given poetic names like sapak a madanding ("branch of happiness"), raon a kayo ("tree leaves") or tring indawa ("yellow bamboo").
caption: A Maranao spinning wheel (note the panolong-shaped projection)
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