Cleveland Museum of Art

Maranao brass corselet (kurab-a-kulang)

Date

1800s

Medium

Brass plates and chain mail

Culture

Philippines, Mindanao, Lake Lanao, Bacolod

Department

Oceania

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This corselet—armor worn to protect the torso—has broad, flaring shoulders, a circular neckline, and a skirt-like extension that protected the wearer’s upper thighs. Armor of this type was worn in the Philippines following colonization by Spain. Its brass plates are connected by interlinked rings. The decorative toggles on the front take the form of stylized flowers, typical of the Maranao people native to Lake Lanao on the island of Mindanao.

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