A BRIEF HISTORY OF

PHILIPPINE ART
I. PRE- CONQUEST
• In art historical terms, we refer to art before the
coming of the first colonizers as “ pre-conquest”.
• In stylistic terms, we refer to it as “ indigenous to
emphasize the idea that our ancestors have been
making art even before colonization.
WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY ART?

Strictly speaking, the term “contemporary art” refers to

“art made and produced by artists living today.”
Contemporary art meaning “the art of today.”
It’s more broadly includes artwork produced during the
late 20th and early 21st century.
WAS THERE ART BEFORE COLONIZATION?

• Prior colonization, art of the ancient of

Filipinos were woven into the fabric of
everyday life.
• They do not refer “art” as we do today.
• Our ancestors, just like all others in the world during
those times, were hunter-gatherers.
• They were in fact performing a ritual.
• When they told a stories about hunt, it is the beginning
of their literature.
• Many of these rituals, which we can consider as the
earliest forms of theater.
• A similar ritual known “canao” or
kanyaw.
• It is found in the Cordillera
Autonomous Region (CAR). The
kanyaw also involves animal
sacrifice.
• In Lake Lanao in Mindanao, a
“Kashawing ritual” aim to ensure
abundance during rice planting and
harvesting is still observed and
performed.
• In Palawan, the “Tagbanwa”
believed that every thirteenth
moon, there goddesses
descent to bless the planting
of rice.
• Long before coming of Spaniards, the pre-
colonial peoples of the Philippines already
possessed a varied and vibrant musical
culture.
PIPES
• .a tube of metal, plastic,
• or other material used
• to convey water, gas, oil,
• or other fluid substances.
FLUTES

• a wind instrument made

• from a tube with holes
• along it that are stopped
• by the fingers or keys.
ZITHERS

• a musical instrument
• consisting of a flat wooden
• sound box with numerous
• strings stretched across it.
DRUMS

• a percussion of instrument
• sounded by being struck
• with sticks or the hands.
KUDYAPI

• a two stringed guitar.

• The instrument is carved
• out of solid soft wood such
• as that from the jackfruit tree.
KULINTANG

•an array of bossed gongs.

GANGSA

•a flat gong, bamboo

•percussion instruments.
AGONG

•a large bossed gong.

4 NATIVE DANCE
• PANGALAY
• -from Sulu archipelago is mimetic of the movement of seabirds.
• Mandayas ‘Kinabua,
• Banog-banog of Higaonon and of the
• B’laan Communitie.
• Man-manok of the Bagobos of Mindanao
• imitate the movements of the predatory birds.
TALIP DANCE

• in Mindanao the Talip

• dance is used in courtship
• and is mimetic of the
• movements of the wild fowls.
INAMONG OF THE MATIGSALUGS,
KADALIWAS DANCE OF T’ BOLIS

• represent the comedic movements of

monkeys.
TINIKLING

• A popular tagalog folk dance often

showcase for tourists.
• Pre-colonial Filipinos have been making images
before colonization.
• People in Cordilleras carve a “ Bulul”, regarded
as God that plays important role in ritual.
ANTHROPOMORPHIC BULUL

• appears in containers, bowls and spoons.

HAGABI

• Produced by Ifugaos. Hagbi is a wooden

bench that marks the socio-economic status
of the owner.
• Christianized communities in Laguna ang
Pampanga are known for “ carving santos or
sculptures of saints” as well as other wooden
sculptures of non-religious orientation.
PAETE, LAGUNA

• recognized its carving tradition.

BETIS, PAMPANGA

• remains active today despite of many

challenges posed in contemporary
practice.
SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES

• have curvilinear decoration called

“okir” (termed ukkil in Tausug/Samal/
Badjao), they are employed in
woodcarving.
MYTHICAL SARIMANOK

• Painted in primary colors follow basic

design.
TOROGAN

• Sultan house that has okir design.

•Some of the most ancient forms
are made out of terracotta.
MANUNGGAL JAR

Discovered at Manunggal Cave, Lipuun Point,

Palawan.
Dated to the late Neolithic period (890-710). It
is a secondary burial vessel, where buried and
exhumbed bones are placed.
• Another type of Burial jar ws produced during
the Metal Age (5BC-225AD). It was found in
Ayub Cave in Maitum, Saranggani Province.
WEAVING

• According to Respicio, weaving has a long

history that Philippine ethnolinguistic group have
a rich textile eaving tradition.. Textile are not
functional.
• In traditional weaving, the fibers are gathered
from plants, like cotton, abaca and pineapple
leaves.
PIS SIYABIT

•A headpiece woven by Tausug of

Sulu.
MALONG

• with equisite tapestry panels called “langkit

woven” by the Maranao of Lanao Del Sur.
• Another textile from weaving include mat
and basket weaving.
ILOCOS REGION

Study bamboo strips are woven to create

fish traps called “bubo”.
 BOXER CODEX

• featured representation of various etnolinguistic group.

An upper class tagalog couple was portrayed wearing
gold jewelry.
• In Visayan, are shown fully covered in tattoo, refered to
us the visayas as “Islas de los Pintados”.
• Aside from its aesthetic, tattoos were valued because
they believed to protect the individual from evil spirit.
• It was the considered as a badge of maturity and
bravery.
• Philippine ethnoliguistic groups which practice tattooing
include the “kalinga, kankanay, ibaloy and Ifugao.

• LOST WAX or CIRE PERDUE- PROCESS WHICH

INVOLVEDS THE USED OD MOULDS FILLED WITH
LIQUIFIED METAL THAT EVENTUALLY HARDENS .
KENDI

• a vessel used for pouring liquids.

• It has a round body with no handle.

• GADUR- a container with a tapered top,

• round body and a flared base.
ISLAMIC COLONIAL (13TH CENTURY TO THE
PRESENT)
• How did islam influence art before the coming of Spanish
colonizers?
• SAYYID ABBUBAKAR- he led on 13th centurya
significant turn of events. He married Princess Piramisuli,
daughter of Rajah Baguimba.When his father-in-law died,
Abubakar succeededthe throne and established the Sultanate
of Sulu.
• QURAN- Central religious text of Islam, or Holy book.
• MADRASA- facilitated teaching of Arabic writing in the
16th century.
• Islam- is the driving force that enabled to resist centuries of
spanish colonization.
• Islam was embraced as religion an way of life by the
peoples of Mindanao, among them, the Tausug, Maranao,
Maguindanao, Yakan, Samal, Badjao, they live in Plawan.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN BELIEFS OF ISLAM THE
INFLUENCE THE WAYS ART IS MADE AND INTERPRETED?

• Filipino Muslims recognize that they belong to

an ummah or a community of believers.
• Tawid or unity of God- Islamic faith doctrined.
• according to Prof. Abraham Sakili, WE CAN RELATE THIS
WITH TWO ASPECTS OF REALITY;
• 1.OBJECT PERCEIVED BY THE ORDINARY SENSE.
• 2. A SPACE OR A VOID EMPTY OF ALL THING;
NOTHINGNESS.
ASSIGNMENT!

•WHAT KINDS OF ART WERE

DEVELOPED DURING SPANISH
COLONIZATION?