I recently accompanied my cousin’s husband visit a woodcarver’s shop.
Who’s the woodcarver?
His name is Paloy Cagayat and he’s from Paete, Laguna. Paete is known for the quality of its woodcarvings.
Wood
They use the wood of the Batikuling tree. Description: a large tree, Litsea Perottetii, of the laurel family, the wood of which is soft, fragrant when fresh, easy to work, and not subject to the attacks of termites, or white ants. It is one of the most useful woods of the Philippine Islands, and is used for making writing-desks and other articles, taking the place of pine.
Batikuling Wood. Taken at the workshop of Paoly Cagayat of Paete, Laguna, Philippines
Some of the woodcarving tools around the workshop:
Paloy Caguiat's Tools
The workshop contained several objects that unmistakeably belong to a woodcarving workshop.
Model at Paloy Cagayat's woodcarving workshop
Paloy Cagayat's Tools
A C-clamp that holds the feet of a statue together as the glue hardens
This appears to be the head of a religious statue.
I didn’t meet the man himself. Instead I met his son, Franco, whose work has already been featured in a popular local car magazine.
Franco Cagayat, Paloy's son, showing off a handcarved model. The Maybach is a refined Mercedes Benz.
He came out inside the pages of the May 2011 issue of Top Gear, a popular car magazine in the Philippines.
Franco Cagayat, Top Gear magazine, May 2011 issue
Another model by Franco Cagayat. The Spyker is a Dutch-made exoticar (spykercars.nl).
Religious Statues
Have you ever wondered how many religious statues there are in the Philippines? It seems there’s an altar or two in every house. The population is 80% Catholic and religious statues are a big part of Catholicism. Little wonder then that religious statues would become a woodcarver’s bread-and-butter.
These heads may become angels.
Paloy Cagayat, Wood Carver, Laguna -- Two Female Heads
Shelved Religious Statues at Paloy Cagayat's woodcarving shop in Paete, Laguna
A sad looking statue
Paloy Cagayat produces a lot of religious statues.
From the Last Supper by Da Vinci.
An army of Madonnas!
More Madonnas! A squad of Madonnas to pray for your sins!
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