Discovering The

Philippine Art
History
By: Angel Bert M. Gonzales
What we'll discuss
Philippine Art
Pre-Colonial Philippine Art
Different Types of
Philippine Art
The Spanish Colonial Art
What is
Philippine Art?
The Philippine Arts pertain to Filipino artworks that have
developed in the country from the beginning of its
civilization up to the present era.
It reflects the culture of the Philippine society and the wide
range of cultural influences from countries that happen to
interact with us as well as the influence in local arts that
resulted in
Filipino artworks as it is known today as Art of the
Philippines.
Pre Colonial Philippine Art
(1521)
The pre-colonial era or also known as Pre-Spanish era is the
period of Philippine Art
before the coming of Spaniards. Early evidence of ancient
tools and other artifacts are found in
the different islands of Philippines like Batangas, Cagayan,
Central Luzon, Davao, and Palawan.
Items discovered were described to be the crudest from the
stone tools (flake tools)
Different Types of Pre-
Colonial Philippine Arts
 Receptacles
Early Filipinos believe in life after death. They used
receptacles which were containers
fashioned to enclose and protect the bodies of their
dead relatives. Receptacles were made from
fibers and tree barks constructed into mats or they
can also be made of leaves, wood, and
bamboo. These receptacles can also function as
repositories of food and other possessions which
will accompany the dead on their journey to the
other world.
 Angono Petroglyphs
The Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs is a rock art on the wall of a rockshelter in Rizal. A
National Cultural Treasure and declared as the oldest known work of art in the Philippines. This
was discovered in 1965 by the late renowned muralist and National Artist, Carlos "Botong"
Francisco. One hundred twenty-seven human figures spread on the wall were rendered by
engraving lines using a piece of stone on the surface of the rock shelter. The cuts vary from ten
centimeters to faint lines figures. The figures consist of circular heads, with or without necks set
on a rectangular or v-shaped body. The linear arms and legs are usually bent. Some incisions on
the rock wall are circles, rectangles, and triangles. The site is at the border of Angono and
Binangonan in the province of Rizal.
 Textile weaving
Weaving is an ancient art form that remain in the Philippines today, with each ethnic
group having their distinctive weaving techniques. Prehistoric textile that have been excavated
are believed to have been created by using flat stone tools to pound and flatten tree barks for use
as materials. According to many accounts of early travelers of the pre-colonial era, the Filipino
people utilized fibers made from natural materials, such as abaca (Manila hemp), maguey,
pineapple, cotton and tree bark, to weave textiles, clothes, rugs, hats and baskets, along with
quilts and bedding.
Bangton Cloth
The oldest surviving textile in the entire Southeast Asian region was found in the
Philippine island of Banton in Romblon province. The cloth, known as the Banton cloth, has
designs with folkloric motifs, and was used as a death wrap.
Jewelry
Preceding the Spanish colonization, the native Filipinos of all genders, and all social classes
wore gold from gold necklaces, earrings, bracelets, armlets, even to their grave. Their love for gold to
making threaded belts and hilts of swords and daggers made of gold. This was the life of
our ancestors. Gold was abundant then in areas now known as Butuan, Eastern Visayas, Mindoro,
and Surigao. The people created belts, necklaces, masks, rings, leg ornaments, even ceremonial
weapons, and wore these gold objects in rituals and celebrations to establish their rank in
society
Gold Death Mask
The burial practice of covering the eyes, nose, and mouth of the dead with sheets of gold
is a custom practiced by a limited group of Filipinos. It is believed that when the face of the dead
is covered with a gold mask, evil spirits cannot come into the body. The face of the corpse was
covered with skillfully labored sheets of gold. The gold nose-disc and gold eye-mask dated from
the late 14th to the early 15th century A.D. were found in a grave site in San Antonio, Oton,
Iloilo. Aside from the museum collection, another pre-Hispanic gold burial mask was also
recovered in Masao, Butuan, Agusan del Norte where gold was abundant in prehistoric times.
The elaborateness depends on their social status. This suggests how rich the Philippines back
then. Wearing gold was part of their daily clothes. This was proven through the Boxer Codex
manuscript in gold leafy
Shell Bracelets and Pendants
In the early days, shells were transformed into tools, as well as ornaments. The oldest identified
ornaments made from cone shells were found in the early 1960s in the tomb of an adult male in
Duyong Cave in Palawan. A shell disk with a cavity in the center was found next to his right ear
and a disk with a hole by the edge was found on his chest. The shell ornaments were dated 4854
B.C. and are characteristic of the Late Neolithic Age
Other personal ornaments such as anklets, beads, bracelets, and earrings recovered from a tomb
sites were unearthed together with dippers, spoons, and other tools transformed from shells. Shell
beads retrieved from other sites were made from cowry, whelk, and conch shells. Shell beads
were also recovered from Arku Cave in Cagayan, Ngipe’t Duldug Cave in Palawan, and Bato
Caves, in Sorsogon; a shell bracelet was also found in Bato Caves.
Pottery
Earthenware pots resembling human figures were found in Ayub Cave, in Pinol, Maitum,
Saranggani Province. The jars used for secondary burial were dated to the Metal Age about 5 BC.
- 225 A.D. Each of the twenty-nine jars recovered from the site is unique. The head-shaped
covers portray different kinds of facial expressions like sadness, joy, contentment. The heads
were either plain, perforated or coated with red and black paints. Some have earrings, others are
tattooed. Some head-shaped covers depict teeth while others have arms, female breasts, and male
genitalia. Clay pots were also discovered in Masbate which dated as early as 710 B.C.E.
The jar burial practices of early Filipinos were prevalent not only in the Philippines, but
also in Southeast Asia. These practices date back to the Late Neolithic Period from 1,000 B.C. to
the 16th century before the arrival of the Spaniards. The discovery of jar burials uncovers
significant clues to the prehistory of Maguindanao and the country.
3 classifications of Pre-
Hispanic Potteries
Shape- is the description of the vessel’s body,
Method of Decoration- is how designs are applied
on the body’s surface.
Design - are either abstract or representational
Sculpture
The ancient Filipinos had attained a
high artistic level through pottery,
jewelry, and wood
carving.
Two Types of Jar
Mununggul Jar
The Mununggul jar is regarded as the symbol of Philippine
Prehistoric artifact. It was
found in Palawan and is estimated to be from 890-710BCE.
Figures representing spirits
constituted most of the early Philippines representational
sculpture. Some statues of Hindu gods
and goddesses were also discovered all over the archipelago
which proved that the early Filipinos
with Hindu traders.
Two Types of Jar
Maitum jar
In Ayub Cave, now referred to as Pinol Cave 29 burial jars and around 33 baskets or
about 4 cubic meters of archaeological material have been collected. Pinol, Maitum was formerly
part of South Cotobato in Sarangani. These secondary burial jars have characteristics that belong
to the Developed Metal Age Period in the Philippines calibrated date of 190 BC to 500 AD, these
jars date back to the Metal Age. Two conventional dates calibrated date of AD 70 to 370 and
calibrated date of 5 BC to 225 AD. Experts used samples taken from the walls of a small
earthenware vessel found inside one of the larger burial jars. The Maitum burial jars were
discovered in by the archeological group of the National Museum in 1991. The jars have designs
that signify human figures with complete or partial facial features or known as anthropomorphic
jars.
Architecture
In the 16th century, early inhabitants of the Philippines built
single-room structures with walls of
bamboo and roof of palm leaves, with the ground floor,
typically utilized for storage.
Three types of native house
Bahay-Kubo
is built from bamboo and nipa which are the most
available construction
materials in the rural areas. The bahay-kubo is very
functional in terms of comfort and
affordability of materials
Three types of native house
Ifugao House
designed for the reason of the cold climate of the Mountain
Province. The Ifugaos construct their houses for protection from
the low temperature and
the rainfall common in the Mountain Province
Three types of native house
Maranao house
is an archaic-style house with a boat-like appearance. This
description is primarily due to the existence of the panolong, carved
beam that
protrudes in the front of the house that support its flooring.
Muslim Art
Islamic art meshed with ethnic culture and produced a Filipino
Muslim art that reflects the ethnic
background and Islamic identity of the people.
6 types of Muslim Art
Okir
is a general name for the colorful flowing designs which
decorate any surface of the
Muslim regions. And it is also an art depicting the
indigenous. originality and skill of the Maranaos. It is a
fine art of. figuring, painting, carving and sculpturing
depicting the. social and psychological identity of
Maranao Society.
6 types of Muslim Art
Sarimanok
is a depiction of an open-winged legendary bird which
stands on a fish with
another fish hanging from its beak. It is usually positioned
atop bamboo poles at the center of
Maranao villages among decorative flags during
celebratory events
6 types of Muslim Art
Naga
is a stylized dragon or serpent carved in grave markers or
elaborately in plows
6 types of Muslim Art
Ukkil
is a design technique usually see in the Sulu Peninsula.
Others consider it a variant
of the okir. It is a decorative design that is used in
carving, baskets, pottery and weaving. It is a
pattern like Western style Arabesque and Art Noveau.
6 types of Muslim Art
Maranao Brass
is best observed in the kabul and gadur. This is a jar-like
container with
covers that look a lot like the domes of their mosques.
6 types of Muslim Art
Kampilan
A long sword, its handle akin to the open mouth of a
naga, a wavy flame-like blade representing
the body of a serpent; the barong, a leaf-like blade having
the same geometric designs on its hilt.
Art of the Mountain Province
Wood is the medium of choice in the art of the Mountain
Province. It is used in making shields,
spoons, ladles, bowls, and human and animal figures.
Woodcarving is considered an important
skill in all tribes.
Two Types Of Mountain Province Art
The Ritualistic Art
These art forms are based on the rituals followed in
religious or social beliefs. Ritual art forms are performed
with particular motives like attaining prosperity,
eliminating evil possessions and diseases or pleasing a
deity.
Example of Ritualis Art
The bulul
a carved male figure made of narra is seated while its
crossed arms rest on its raised
knees. Believed to guard rice crops, this figure was
traditionally bathed in pig’s or chicken’s
blood during rice planting rituals in Ifugao
Two Types Of Mountain Province Art
Decorative Art
makes interior and exterior spaces more aesthetically
pleasing. In the history of Philippine art, furniture made of
rare local hardwoods and decorative art pieces such as
woven textiles, pottery, wood carvings, and even mosaics
have been created.
Example of Decorative Art
Wooden Bowl
They are used for serving food, as decoration, or even as
fruit bowls. It's beautiful and unique.
Ancient Writing

The ancient script Baybayin. According to many

early Spanish accounts, the Tagalogs had already
been writing with the baybayin for at least a century
Baybayin
is a Philippine script. The script is an abugida belonging
to the family of the Brahmic scripts. Geographically, it
was widely used in Luzon and other parts of the
Philippines prior to and during the 16th and 17th centuries
before being replaced by the Latin alphabet during the
period of Spanish colonization
The Spanish Colonial Art
(1521-1898)
The year 1521 marks the dawn of the the first colonial power in
the Philippines. This is
called the Spanish period.
For the Catholic faith to be propagated successfully, it should
be able to communicate
well with the educated as well as the uneducated, and the best
way to achieve this is through art.
Religious paintings, sculptures, literature, music, dance, and
theatre have all contributed to
instilling the doctrines of the Catholic faith into the hearts and
minds of the early Filipinos.
Architecture
Fr. Antonio Sedeno introduced a lime in the construction of buildings. He was
responsible for the construction of the first fortress, the Nuestra Senora de Guia Fort in ManilaHe was
instrumental in the planning and building of the Manila’s Secular residences. Early
painting and sculptural works for the church were largely given to the Chinese artisans living in a
community outside Intramuros called the Parian. .
Sculpture
Carving which began in the pre-Hispanic times in making the likha (a local deity), was
redirected by the friars into the creation of santos (sculptures of saints). The making of santos are
strictly supervised by the church authorities for fear that the natives might include pagan elements
into the prescribed iconography of the church. Most of the santos had been carved out of wood. Ivory
and animal bone were also used.
Painting
A rise of national consciousness was expressed through the reform movement during the 19th
century. The Sociedad Economica de Amigos dela Pais, a civic organization, aimed to encourage
the development of visual arts which led to the establishment of the Escuela de Dibujo y Pintura
in 1821.
The school closed in 1834 but reopened 20 years later. This school was incorporated with the
Escuela Pintura Escultura Y Grabado in 1879.
Damian Domingo
was the father of Philippine painting. Domingo established the official Philippine art academy in his
residence in Tondo in 1821. The
technique of painting during this time may be from his works, where detailed and fine lines give
volume or body to objects or parts of the human figures. The quality of softness in the rendering
of the lines suggests the use of a Chinese brush
Two local artists who became famous abroad
Juan Luna
Juan Luna won a silver medal for his La Muerte de Cleopatra at Exposicion General de Bellas
Artes in 1881. He also won a Gold medal at Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884
for his famous Spolarium.
Two local artists who became famous abroad
Felix Hidalgo
won a silver medal for his Christian Virgins Exposed to
the Populace in Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes m.
Printing
Nicolas Bagay
is one of the outstanding engravers who ran a printing press and Francisco Suarez
are both known for their designs in 1733 and for the 12 scenes depicting representative life in the
islands in the Murillo-Velarde Map. They signed their works proudly writing Indio Tagalog
after their signatures
18th century Printing
Earliest among the collection are religious in themes and composed of 18th century icons and
images created by local artisans under the tutelage of the friars. The devotional pieces of the
collection are of outstanding significance. Engravings were printed from copper plates and wood
cuts.
18th century Printing
Coronation of the Virgin
It is one of the oldest artworks in the visual arts collection. An extremely rare icon belonging to
the primitive school of Philippine art. It is typical of the religious art produced during the 18th
century for household use (devotional piece).
19th century Printing

The introduction of lithograph prints eventually replaced engraving in copper.

Lithograph Print- oil and water
Thank You for
listening!