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Journey of the Barong Tagalog, Addendum Part 15.5: 19th Century German Artist Illustrations of Life in the Philippines

Ermisch - Hahnenkampf In Einer Strasse Manilas (Philippinen) - Filipino townspeople in barongs, camisa de chino and baro't saya at cockfight

Conrad Georg Ermisch was a German illustrator and painter that lived from 1855 to 1888. He trained as an artist in Frankfurt, Munich and Weimar; and from 1877, he worked in Dresden making illustrations for magazines and creating other works of art.

The first image here above is an Ermisch illustration titled Hahnenkampf in einer Strasse Manilas (Philippinen) [Cockfight on a Manila Street (Philippines)]. This piece was published in 1898 in the popular illustrated German magazine Über Land und Meer (“Over Land and Sea”).

Ermisch - Hahnenkampf In Einer Strasse Manilas (Philippinen) - Filipino townspeople in barongs, camisa de chino and baro't saya at cockfight

The second image above is a closer look at the center of attention: the cockfight. In the foreground, native Filipino men sit and squat in a circle facing each other holding their roosters in front of them.

In the background from right to left, there are women carrying children, shirtless men carrying containers, and a man sitting on a carabao. All have stopped to look at this spectacle.

All the dressed men wear either work Barong Tagalog or camisa de chino with work pants. All work garments are probably made of durable and breathable fabrics, like cotton, linen, ramie, or abaca. Some of the men wear putong (head wraps) or western style hats on their heads. All the women wear baro’t saya (blouse and skirt).