ANCIENT CULTURAL LINKS during the 15th and 16th centuries, including Manila,

Maguindanao, Sulu, and Cebu.

Geography of theThe Philippines Halter (Golden Regalia) Ca. 10th - 13th century, Surigao
• Located in South East Asian Region Ayala Museum Collection
• The Philippine Archipelago comprised of 7,107 islands and
divided into three main geographic areas: Luzon, Visayas and • One of the largest yields of archaeological gold has come
Mindanao. from Butuan,
• As early as 320 CE and on vessels called balanghai
• The topography of the islands is mostly mountainous with constructed for long-distance travel, enabled the early
narrow to large coastal lowlands. Filipinos for maritime trade.

Early Modern Humans • Butuan was a major trading port from the 10th to the 12th
• Tabon Cave, Palawan (1962): Discovery of century. Butuanons collected sea products, like pearls,
skull fragment of homo sapiens dating around mother-of-pearls, tortoise shells, and sea cucumbers (tripang
16,700 BCE known as Tabon Man. or Holothuria sp.), and forest products, like medicinal and
aromatic products, beeswax, resin, and camphor, which they
• Hunters and gatherers settled the Philippines, reaching exchanged for foreign goods.
Palawan around 47,000 years ago.
Indian Influence
Austronesian Heritage • Progression in goldcraftmanship progressed after Sanskrit
• Austronesian peoples (speakers of Austronesian language) introduced in the Philippines bet 900-1000 CE.
passed through the Philippines via Batanes and Luzon around • Indic influence is evident in Philippine religious, intellectual,
4,500 years ago. and cultural life through words such as bathala, diwata,
• Brought along with them the agricultural and maritime budhi, and bhasa.
knowledge. • Hindu-Buddhist iconography developing in the Philippine in
• Notable evidence of Austronesian migration was the 10th-13th century.
knowledge of jade working from Taiwan.
Such as: Golden vessel in the form of a kinnari from Surigao del Sur,
Green nephrite lingling-o and double 10th–13th century, Ayala Museum Collection
animal-headed ear pendants from the Tabon Caves in
Palawan, INDIGENOUS VISUAL ARTS TRADITIONS
Early Pottery People’s Art
• As early as 5000-1000 BCE, pottery in Taiwan, the Art created by the Filipino masses, distinct from academic or
Philippines, the island of Borneo, and other parts of elite art (de Leon, 1981).
Indonesia had surfaces with red slips. Sining Bayan
Ex: Wide-mouth jar with anthropomorphic faces from Art forms blending indigenous traditions with lowland
Batangas. Christian influences (Fajardo, 2005).
• The widespread use of red slipped pottery were evident in Sining Lumad
Cagayan Valley and Palawan. Art of indigenous communities that resisted colonization,
maintaining their Southeast Asian cultural roots (De La Paz &
• The Metal Age saw the widespread manufacture of vessels Flores, 1997).
prior to Chinese and Indian trade (900 CE).

Early Gold
Philippine Muslims Art
• 12th to the 15th century, there was an abundance of
A hybrid of Islamic faith and traditional Lumad
intricately crafted gold artifacts found in the archipelago. culture, with art forms rooted in ancient traditions
• The Philippines had an abundance of gold, which was and constantly evolving in response to social and
highly valued for creating decorative items used in ancient environmental changes (Sakili, 2003).
burial customs.
Ex: Oton Gold Death Mask
Key Characteristics of Muslim Art
dated 14th to early 15th century, Oton, Iloilo.
• Early Filipinos used piloncitos for barter during pre-
Hispanic times.  Evolution: Art forms have evolved from ancient
traditions and continue to adapt to changes in social
and environmental contexts.
Early Polities  Connection to Nature: Art is closely tied to nature
• Chinese and Arab chronicles documented the emergence and serves both functional (e.g., everyday tools) and
of power centers during the 10th and 11th centuries, such as decorative purposes (e.g., ornaments, rituals).
Butuan and Ma-I, and  Animistic Influence: Many designs are influenced by
animistic beliefs, reflecting the natural world and
 seeking to appease spirits through symbolic items 1. Anthropomorphic design
and rituals. 2. Human figures
3. Sex-specific forms (female: breast-like,
Cultural Influences on Filipino Art male: penis-like projections)
4. Connection between body and spirit
 Oceanic Traditions: Ancient cultural influences,
5. Burial rituals, gender distinctions
including Polynesian (tattooing, wood carving),
South Asian animism, Indian Hindu-Buddhism,
Chinese, and Arabic-Islamic culture, shaped Filipino Manunggul Jar
art before the 16th century.
 Cultural Exchanges: Precolonial exchanges between 1. Secondary burial practice (bones placed
southern Japan, the Ryukyus, and northern after decomposition)
Philippines (due to ocean currents) influenced 2. Afterlife belief
Filipino pottery, weaving, and wood carving.
3. Lid design: two figures in a boat
4. Journey of the soul, arms crossed, steering
Notable Art Forms paddle

Wood Carving (Okir Art)

Kalinga Pottery
1. Rooted in Southeast Asian Malay
1. Indigenous tradition, Cordillera region
traditions (Maranao and Tausug).
2. Key designs: 2. Cultural expression: history, beliefs, land
connection
1. Sarimanok: Symbolizes the human
3. Functional & decorative vessels
spirit.
2. Burraq: A half-animal figure from
Islamic lore. Tapayan
3. Similar motifs are found in
Indonesian and Bornean art (e.g., 1. Large earthenware/stoneware jar
Garuda, Hornbill). 2. Found in Austronesian cultures (Island
2. Islamic Art in the Philippines Southeast Asia)
3. Uses: fermenting rice (tapai), vinegar,
1. Introduced during the establishment of the storing food, cooking, burial
first Muslim sultanate in Sulu.
2. Key elements: CARVING
1. Mosques with minarets.
2. Calligraphic inscriptions from the · Ifugao Rice Terraces – Stone-walled, water irrigation,
Quran. bulol (ancestral spirit, rice rituals).
3. Brassware: Ritual vessels like · Hagabi – Large wooden bench, status symbol,
kendi and gadur. economic/political power.
4. Burak Sculpture: Half-woman, · Okir/Ukkil – Maranao/Tausug, carved forms, curvilinear
half-horse figure associated with motifs, limestone tombstones.
Prophet Muhammad. · Sarimanok – Mythical bird, fish, human spirit symbol.
· Naga – Mythical serpent/dragon, S-curve, scales, power
Colonial Period Impact symbol.
· Pako Rabong – Stylized fern, growth, fertility.
 Spanish Colonization: Indigenous practices (wood · Torogan – Maranao noble house, panolong, colorful
carving, metalcraft, embroidery) were transformed serpent and vine motifs.
or replaced by Catholic rituals during religious
events like fiestas and Holy Week.
· Tagbanwa Carvings – Whimsical animals (birds, snakes,
 American Colonization: Indigenous groups were lizards), rituals, decorative, toys.
viewed as "uncivilized," and their cultures were · Singkaban – Bamboo, carved, public spaces, cultural
showcased as curiosities during the 1904 St. Louis motifs.
World's Fair. · Lakob – Bamboo tobacco container, dye-resist,
multicolored geometric, okir motifs.
POTTERY · Surat Mangyan – Hanunoo Mangyan, ancient syllabary,
ambahan, personal feelings, carved bamboo.

Maitum Burial Jar

Weaving 2. Pinilian: Brocade weave using sticks to
select warp threads, creating a floating,
three-dimensional texture.
Ikat

1. Definition: Dyeing-based cloth design Hispanic Traditions and

technique, derived from Malay word "ikat"
(to tie/bind).
Transformations in Philippine
2. Process: Threads are bundled, dyed, and Visual Arts
then woven.
3. Types:
1. Warp ikat: Dyeing the warp Sculpture
threads.
2. Weft ikat: Dyeing the weft Anito
threads.
3. Double ikat: Dyeing both warp and 1. Native religious images or idols,
weft threads. representing spirits or deities.

T'boli (South Cotabato) Santo

1. Known for: T'nalak fabric, woven from 1. Christian religious images, particularly of
abaca fibers using ikat technique. Christ and the saints.
2. Dream Weavers: T'boli weavers are called
this due to their intricate designs inspired European Influence on Sculpture
by dreams.
1. Classical Sculpture: Proportional,
Bagobo (Davao, Mindanao) symmetrical, serene expression (influenced
by Greco-Roman ideals).
1. Inabal: Traditional handwoven fabric made 2. Baroque Sculpture: Asymmetry, emotional
with a backstrap loom, primarily from expression, and dynamism (influenced by
abaca fibers. the Spanish Baroque style).
2. Motifs: Depict nature, spirituality, and
Bagobo cultural identity. Classical Santo

Notable Weavers: 1. Conventional proportion, symmetry, serene

expression in religious imagery.
1. Lang Dulay: Famous T'nalak weaver
(T'boli). Baroque Santo
2. Salinta Monon: Renowned Inabal weaver
(Bagobo). 1. Asymmetrical form, emotionalism, highly
3. Darhata Sawabi: Famous Pis Syabit weaver expressive and polychrome figures.
(Tausug). 2. Artists: Pedro de Mena (Virgin of Sorrows,
1685) and Alonso Cano (Chapel Tabernacle,
Tausug Weaving 1700).

1. Pis Syabit: Square headdress for males Rococo Style

with multicolored geometric designs.
2. Kandit: Silk sash (waistband) with bold 1. Carroza: Ornamental floats showcasing
geometric patterns and sharp color silversmithing skills, used in processions.
contrasts. 2. Silver Ramillettes: Floral wreaths used for
altars.
Ilocos Weaving
Encarnacion
1. Binacol: Optical illusion patterns that create
a sense of motion, often with geometric 1. Coating of gesso (plaster-like mixture)
designs. applied to wood before flesh-colored paint
for realistic skin effect.
 Bastidor  Letters of a person’s name portrayed as figures,
showing daily life, occupations, and Manila
landmarks.
1. Framework or mannequin body for carving
 Example works: "Alimentando Pollos" (Feeding
figures, often used in religious statues.
Chickens, 1896) and "Primeras Letra" (1890).

Ivory Santo
· Spanish Influence & European Art
Movements:
1. Substitutes for ivory: fishbone, dugong
teeth (sea cow).
 · Introduction of European art styles by professors
Rocha and Saez.
Rocaille (Ornamentation)  Local artists like Lorenzo Guerrero and Juan Luna
influenced by European traditions, particularly
1. Ornate decoration used in religious art, Impressionism.
often in Baroque and Rococo styles.  Juan Luna's Spoliarium won First Gold Medal in
Madrid Exposition.
Wooden Carved Door of San Agustin
Church · Notable Works & Artists:

1. Masterpiece of Philippine wood carving,  · Luna: Spoliarium (Gold Medal, Madrid 1884), La
Bulaqueña.
intricate religious motifs, including saints
 Hidalgo: Las Vírgenes Cristianas Expuestas al
and angels, at San Agustin Church, Manila.
Populacho (Christian Virgins).
 Lorenzo Rocha: Mujer Filipina (1895).
PAINTING
· Mediums:
· Monastery of San Agustin:
 · Watercolor, oil on canvas, brown Manila paper.
 · Abstract strapwork patterns, floral frescoes,
Trompe l'œil technique.
 Artists: Cesare Alberoni and Giovanni DiBella (1875).

· Anales Eclesiásticos de Filipinas:

 · Water-based pigment illuminations on paper.

 Handwritten work detailing Roman Catholic Church
history in the Philippines.
 Medieval style with Romanesque influences.

· Esteban Villanueva (Basi Revolt, 1821):

 · 14 oil paintings, National Museum of the

Philippines.
 Depicting events of the Basi Revolt: revolt scenes,
military confrontations, and executions.

· Tipos del País:

 · Watercolor paintings showing Filipino inhabitants

in native costumes.
 Reflects social status and occupation during colonial
times.
 Artist: Damian Domingo, Father of Philippine Art.

· Letras y Figuras:

 · Miniaturist painting style by Jose Honorato

Lozano.