Philippines Musical Instrument Stamps 1968

This post features four Philippines musical instrument stamps from 1968. Sets like this are fairly common and you can see others from Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, and Cuba, to name a few. Why are instrument sets of stamps common? For one thing, instruments are common cultural objects with which citizens of a country can identify. Such images help to build a common identity and instill pride. Secondly, in some cases, such sets feature instruments from minority populations. Such examples can help a minority group to feel included, while at the same time fostering acceptance by a dominant population. Also, aesthetically such sets work really well. The different instruments are easy to tell apart, yet an overall design can make a set appear as a unified whole.

The Stamps

The four stamps are printed by photogravure and have a similar design. They each depict a single instrument rather large in the center of the stamp angling from the upper left to the lower right. Then, to the right of the instrument is a smaller image of a performer playing the instrument. The background is a yellow-ish brown color and looks like a woven, cane mat. The stamps were issued on November 22, 1968.

The Kudyapi

The lowest denominational stamp is a ten sentimo stamp. It features the kudyapi, a large two-string lute, that can be as long as six feet. One of the strings is a drone, playing a single repetitive pitch. The other string is an octave higher and is used to play melodies. There are a series of hardened beeswax frets on the soundboard, against which the strings are pressed. Players pluck the strings with their fingers.

Ludag

The next stamp is a twenty sentimo stamp. It shows a long, narrow drum with skin head and rope lacing. The stamp shows remarkable detail, including wooden wedges that are used to adjust the tension on the ropes, and therefore the skin head. There are various drums of similar shape and size in the Philippines. The stamp identifies this as a Ludag, an instrument from the Ifugao region of the country. The image of the musician shows a player holding the drum in their lap, holding it with the left hand and beating the head with the right hand.

Kulintang

The next stamp features the kulintang on a thirty sentimo stamp. The kulintang is a set of bronze pots that sit in a wooden rack. Each pot has a knob, or nipple, on the top. The player hits the knob with a wooden mallet to make a bell-like sound. The kulintang is the melodic instrument in an ensemble that also includes suspended gongs and drums. The name of the ensemble is also kulintang, after the instrument.

Subing

The final stamp in the set is of the fifty sentimo denomination. It features the subing (or kubing), a jaw harp of bamboo. Jaw harps have a tongue, or reed, that is attached to a frame. The instrument is placed next to (or inside) the mouth. Then, the oral cavity acts as the resonator when the player plucks the subing’s tongue. On the stamp, you can see the tongue (or reed) cut into the bamboo on the bottom right. The instrument has a soft volume. It is best in intimate situations and is used for family or loved ones.

Curious about these instruments? Here is an interesting demonstration of a kulintang. Enjoy!