The Isneg dwell along the waterways of the Apayao River in the Cordillera mountain range and are thus also popularly known as the Apayao. They are believed to have descended from coastal populations that fled inland after the Spanish occupation of the lowland areas. Isneg means “to recede” in their local language.

Carved from batikuling, a softwood, these are two of 69 dolls that were part of the Evolution of Filipino Costumes exhibition, one of the inaugural shows of Ayala Museum when it opened in 1974.