A Brief History of

Philippine Art
What is Art?
 What is Art?
It is derived from the Latin Word "ARS" which means
"SKILLS" or "CRAFT"
"ARTEM" which means skills that is usually refers to the
quality of what us beautiful or great significance. It came
from two words which is "arte" means "by skill" and "factum"
or "to make"
Expression of human creative skill and imagination
producing words to be appreciated their beauty or emotional
power.
Arts, in its broadest sense, is a form of communication

 PRE-CONQUEST
In art historical terms, we refer to art before the coming of the
first colonizers as a “Pre conquest”. In stylic terms, we refer to it
as “Indigenous” to emphasize the idea that our ancestor have
been making art even before colonization.

Prior to colonization art of the ancient Filipinos were woven into

fabric of everyday life. They do not refer to “art” as we do today.
They did not distinguish forms into different categories like
music, theater, visual arts, etc.

 PRE-CONQUEST
Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. They
imitated the movement of animals and the
sounds that they made. In this simple activity
alone revolved ritual, music, dance theater and
even literature.

 Rituals
When the hunter-gatherers societies
prepared themselves for the hunt and
prayed to be endowed with the strength
that they haunted, they were in fact
performing Rituals.

When they partitioned what they haunted

and gathered, feasted on the fish that they
caught or the pig that they slew, it was a
form of ritual.
Literature
When they told stories about the
hunt, this form of oral story
telling marked the beginning of
literature.
 Theater
When they imitated the
movements of the animals that
they hunted, this marked the
beginning early of theater or play
acting.
 KANYAW or CANAO
A ritual known as Canao or Kanyaw is found in the
Cordillera Autonomous Region. Officiated by a Shaman or
"mumbaki", the "canao" also involves animal sacrifices,
where the entrails are read through a process of divination
that is performed either for healing, to announce the birth
of a child, or a coming of age, during wakes, weddings, and
burial ceremonies.
 KASHAWING RITUAL
In Lake Lanao in Mindanao, a Kashawing ritual to ensure
abundance during rice planting and harvesting is still
observed and performed. This ritual involves
reenactment of the pact made by the ancestors of the
community and the unseen spirits that inhabit the lake.
 TAGBANUA
In Palawan, the Tagbanwa believe that every thirteenth
moon, three goddesses descend from heaven to bless
planting of rice. The Shamans go into a trance amidst
ritual chanting and dancing and are believed to be taken
over by the goddesses themselves.
Pre- Long before the coming of the Spaniards,
the Pre Colonial people of the Philipines

Conquest already possessed a varied and vibrant

music culture.
 Ethnic Musical
Instruments
KUDYAPI KULINTANG GANSA AGUNG
TWO STRINGED GUITAR ARRAY OF BOSSED GONGS FLAT GONG LARGE BOSSED GONG

In the Philippines, Kulintang is the Played in an ensemble of Percussion instrument used

specifically in Maranao, an
instrument called the
“Kudyapi” was prominent
in the 19th century. Its
classification falls under the
Chordophone family and is
considered as a two-
stringed boat lute.
(percussion) gong musical
instrument of Mindanao,
Philippines. It is a single
musical instrument
composed of 7-8 gongs laid
horizontally on a stand.
Kulintang music is
considered an ancient
tradition that predates the
influences of Islam,
Christianity, and the West.
two or more gongs of
varying sizes. In Kalinga,
that gangsa is played in a
group of six. Each player
strikes the surface of the
gong with a beater (pattung
style) or with their bare
palms (topayya style) in an
interlocking way manners
that creates a resultant
melody.
by the ethnic groups in the
Philippines. These ethnic
groups, including the
Maguindanao, Sama-Bajau,
Maranao, and Tausug
people,use the Agung as a
support instrument for the
kulintang ensemble, a row
of small gongs that
functionmelodically.
 Native Dance Forms
PANGALAY
Is the traditional "fingernail"
dance of the Tausūg people
of the Sulu Archipelago and
eastern coast Bajau of
Sabah.
KINABAUA
Kinabua-is a ritual dance
among the Mandaya in the
Northern Mindanao that
depicts the hawks’ use of
sweet songs to trap out the
hen and chicks made into a
meal.
BANOG-
BANOG
They also used a scarf.
Ancient brass gongs and
drums lent music to the
exotic dance called BANOG-
BANOG which imitate the
menacing bird of prey – the
hawk
MAN-
MANOK
The Man-Manok is a dance
that mimics fowls. Tribal
blankets that represent the
colorful plumage of wild
cocks are shown off by the
warriors who intend on
winning the attention of the
maiden hen.
 Native Dance Forms
TALIP
Talip is a dance from Carasi.
It is usually performed by
natives during fiestas,
weddings, a mourning of
the dead, and ceremony
after burial.
INAMOG
An ethnic dance performed
during the harvest time by
Tigwahanon Manobos of
Bukidnon. The dance shows
a couple, with their bodies
and arms slightly bent
forward, mimicking the
motions of a pair of flirting
among (monkeys).
Inamong, therefore, means
"monkey-like or "simian
antics".
KADALIWAS TINIKLING
Dance of the T’bolis A popular tagalog folk
represent the comedic dance often showcased for
movements of monkeys. tourists, is evocative of the
movements of the crane,
balancing itself on stilt-like
legs or flitting away from
the clutches of bamboo
traps.
BULUL
People of cordilleras carve the
BULUL, regarded as a granary god
that plays an important role in
rituals. The anthropomorphic
bulul also appears in containers,
bowls, and spoons.
 HAGABI
A wooden bench that marks the
socioeconomic status of the owner. On the
other hand, Christianized communities in
Laguna and Pampanga are known for
carving Santos or sculptures of saints as
well as other wooden sculptures of
secular or non religious orientation.
 OKIR
Employed in woodcarving. Sensuous
figures sometimes painted in primary
colours follow the basic designs of the
mythical Sarimanok, the Naga or serpent
and the pako rabong or fren. Elaborate
okir designs can also be found in the
panolong or protruding beams of the
sultans house called the torogan.
MANUNGGUL JAR
Discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun
Point Palawan is dated to the late
Neolithic period (890-710 BC). It is a
secondary burial vessel, where buried
and exhumed bones are placed.
PIS SIYABIT
A headpiece woven by Tausug of Sulu
"siyabit" means “to hook,” . The warp of "pis
siyabit" is marked to form a guide for the
tapestry-like silk weaving. Its border is
decorated with a zigzag and cross patterns,
making the entire parts of the fabric filled
with design elements, which expresses the
principle of horror vacui (fear of empty
spaces).
 MALONG
A traditional Filipino-Bangsamoro
rectangular or tube-like wraparound skirt
bearing a variety of geometric or okir designs.
 TEPO
is a colourful hand-woven mat made from
the Dwarf Pandan leaves which grow
abundantly on the coasts of Tawi-Tawi.
Traditionally an exclusively female activity
amongst the Sama-Bajau, the mat-weaving is
an important facet of their cultural identity.
 OVALOID
a head sling made of nito or
bamboo used to carry the harvests
 BUBO
Is a bottle-shaped fish trap which
measures to about one and a half feet
in height. It is constructed out of thin
bamboo and or rattan slits. The wider
end or base is woven in a manner that
allows the fish to enter and unable to
go out.
Aside from this aesthetic function, tattoos were valued
because it was concidered as a badge of maturity and
bravery. Shared by other regions in Southeast Asia and
New Zealand, other Philippine ethno linguistic group
which practice tattooing include the Kalinga, Kankanay,
Ibaloy and Ifugao. Aside from the bodily inscription,
jewelry is also believe to make the wearer more
attractive to the opposite sex in as much as it is
considered pleasing to the gods.
 As with jewelry, painstaking attention to detail is manifested in
metal work, such as the lotoans or betel nut boxes of various
shape, made of brass or bronze produced chiefly by the Maranao
of Lanao Del Sur.
The design is achieve through a special technique of metal casting
called the lost wax or core perdue process which involved the use
of moulds fieled with liquefied metal that eventually hardens.
The removal of mold reveals the design in relief. The Kendi is a
vessel used for pouring liquids while the Gadur is a container with
a tempred top, a round body, and a flared base.