Ifugao Ceremonial Ritual Box

Ifugao ceremonial ritual box, new with defect. There is small chip on one of the feet, see listing photos. Traditionally known as a punamhan or tingab, originating from the Ifugao people of the Mountain Province in Northern Luzon, Philippines. These boxes are sacred vessels used by an Ifugao mumbaki (shaman or ritual master) during agricultural and life-cycle ceremonies. They hold specific spiritual offerings such as wild ginger, tobacco leaves, betel nuts (momah), and lime. These elements are used to invoke ancestral protection and appease spirits during thanksgiving rituals for bountiful rice harvests and weddings.