MANUNGGUL JAR

WRITTEN REPORT

The article we used as a source for this report is the “ART AS VESSEL OF HISTORY”
Emotional Reflections on Culture, Nation and the Manunggul Jar written by Mr. Michael
Charleston Briones Chua first appeared publicly in
http://artesdelasfilipinas.com/main/archives.php?pid=50. Publish on October 12, 2019. He is also
known as Xiao Chua in the segment called “Xiao Time”. Michael Chua was born on January 19,
1984 at Tarlac, Tarlac. He finished his Bachelor of Arts in History (2005) and Master of Arts in
History (2010) at UP Diliman and now he is a Ph. D Anthropology student at the same
University.

Michael Chua is a Filipino historian, academic and television personality. He is also a

Knight Commander of Rizal and Lasallian Educator. He works as historical consultant of History
with Lourd, teleseryes, Ilustrado and Katipunan, the creator of Xiao Time television segment, he
also writes the “Walking History” at the Manila Times. In addition Chua is also a member of
“Bahay Saliksikan ng Kasaysayan”, “Asosasyon ng mga Dalubhasa May Hilig at Interes sa
Kasaysayan (ADHIKA ng Pilipinans Inc.)”, “Honorary Dato, Sultanate of Bayan Darussalam”,
“Honorary Member, Rotaract Club of Metro Manila”, “Adviser Rotaract Club of Manila” and
“Lecturer-on-Board, Linangan Educational Trip”.

Because of his hardworks he was awarded as Wikipinoy of the Year 2007 of History,
Natatanging Tarlakenyo 2011 para sa Pamamahayag, Gawad Lasallian Para sa Filipino 2012,
Gawad Likasyan para sa Pagpapalaganap ng Kasaysayan 201, Distinguished Service Medal
Awardee from the International Order of the Knights of Rizal, Distinguished Service Star
Awardee from the International Order of the Knights of Rizal.

Michael Charleston Chua is the author of the books Bayani Biographies ( Andres Bonifacio)
and Andres Bonifacio ang Unang Pangulo. He also wrote the articles;

• “Pantayong Pananaw o Pantasyang Pananaw Lamang?; Kamalayan ng mga

Konsepto/ Dalumat ng Bayan, Mga Tinig Mula sa Ibaba”
 • Ang Kaugnayan ng Mabuting Kalooban sa Dalumat ng Kalayaan at pagkamakansa
ng Katipunan
• Jose Rizal, ang Historyador: Papel ng National Hero sa Pagbuo ng Bansa
• Ang Diskursong Pantayong Panahaw Cyberspace
• Midyang Pangmadla at Sambayanang Pilipino sa Harap ng Diktadura at
Demokrasya
• Dr. JOSE RIZAL: Namatay na Isang Kristiyanong Catolico
• “ART AS VESSEL OF HISTORY” Emotional Reflections on Culture, Nation and
the Manunggul Jar.

The Manunggul jar is a secondary burial jar with a cover featuring a ship of the dead. It
was recovered in a Chamber A, Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point Reservation (Tabon Cave
Complex), Quezon, Palawan. It was discovered by Victor Decalan and Hans Kasten with the
team volunteer from United States Peace Corps. Manunggul Jar is one of the Philippines cultural
treasures and early pre-colonial artworks. According to Dr. Robert Fox, It is a work of an artist
and a master potter. It is now housed at the National Museum of Anthropology and is one of the
most significant and popular exhibiting there.

The Manunggul jar is largely made from clay and it measures 51.5 cm wide and 66.5 cm
high. Its embossed, curved designs especially those at the upper portion of the jar were painted in
pure hematite and iron.

There are two human images riding a boat located on top of the jar’s cover. The first
human image, holding an oar with a missing blade, is situated at the back area. He seems to be
steering the oar rather than paddling the boat. The second human image, with arms folded across
the chest, is situated at the front. Both human images seem to have a band tied over their heads
down to their jaws. The image of a head complete with carved eyes, nose and mouth is also seen
at the front area of the boat.

The two human images were said to symbolize two souls on a voyage toward the
afterlife. The arms folded across the chest of the second human image and the band being tied
from the top of the head down to the jaw, on the other hand, represented the Philippine tradition
of arranging a dead body. The three main features of the Manunggul jar is composed of the boat
itself, the boat driver and the soul. This was based on the Austronesian belief wherein the soul of
a human separates from the body after death and returns to the Earth in another form for the
purpose of looking after his or her descendants. The souls were believed to travel through boats
just like the one depicted on the jar’s cover.

The “ship-of-the-dead” image in the Manunggul jar was found to have close similarities
with the ship motifs of woodcarvings found in Taiwan, East Timor and other places in South
East Asia. Such ship motifs were seen during ancient funerals using boat-shaped coffins.

During Austronesian time, Filipinos used jars as their burial jar. There are different types
of it, one of these is an egg-shaped like jar wherein whole human body were place inside and
buried under ground known as primary burial jar. On the top of the grave, they put stones and
arrange them into boat-shaped like which shows how filipino value the importance of voyage or
marine culture. They believed that the souls travelled through water and boat toward afterlife and
returns to the Earth in other form like trees, mountains, land, and stones to look after their
descendants. One of the evidence that trees has souls is the boat located at the top of manunggul
jar. That's why Filipinos have great respect on the ancient nature and culture. Only the bones of
the dead were place inside the jar known as second burial jar.