Why we need to study the early beginnings of art in our country?
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The first expression of art can be traced from prehistoric times which dates 500,000 years ago.
However, these indigenous art forms and national treasures pertain more to archeology rather than art.
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Foreign traders played major role in the development of art in the Philippines.
A great no. of potteries, porcelain and stonewares have been recovered in the Philippines which provide evidence of trade during the protohistoric period.
Southeastern Philippine Art
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Some Chinese potteries found in the Philippines are from the late Tang and Northern Sung dynasties in the 10th century A.D., Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming dynasty.
Samples of early art works are potteries, porcelain and stonewares.
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Such artworks have also been found in the graves of Pre-Spanish Filipinos, as well as in the homes of mountain people.
Most common finds made by Chinese ceramic artist and technicians are figurines, ceramics, dishes, bowls, vases and boxes.
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The Duyong cave in Palawan and the Tabon cave complex (two burial sites with charcoal in grave fill dated roughly 2,680 B.C.) yielded shell ear pendants and a polished stone adze and shell axe-adze, representing a typical Early Neolithic site.
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Meanwhile, the excavation of Bato cave in Sorsogon province in Southern Luzon shows the Neolithic jar-burial tradition, associated with stone ornaments, pottery, and stone tools.
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The pottery assemblage from the Late Neolithic site which date roughly 710 B.C showed a mastery of intricate design that the Metal Age in the Philippines covers the period from 500 B.C and possibly earlier to the 10th century A.D.
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This period shows the development of glass technology and art of weaving in the Philippines as the Filipinos strove for better control over their environment.
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The typical artifacts in the Early Metal Age were beads and bracelets made of glass
Beads made of agate, carnelian, amethyst, rock, crystal, and sapphire are believed to have originated in mainland Southeast Asia.
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Pottery making which already existed during the Neolithic period, became a highly developed technology.
Some pottery forms were footed trays elaborate jars with the boat of the dead on its covers.
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In the archeological area in the coasted strip of Calatagan peninsula in Batangas province south of Manila were found 500 Filipino graves which yielded porcelain and stone wares from China and Annam or Vietnam, along with glass jewelry, stone beads, iron tools and weapons.
Foreign archeologists in the Philippines, in published literature from Janse, Sullivan, Beyer and Fox cited that tens-of-thousands of Oriental trade wares in the country which originated from South China.
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Southwestern Philippine Art
Islamic influence has been absorbed in Southwestern Philippine Art.
Among the people who have absorbed the Islamic cultural specializations in varying degrees are the Maranaw, Tausug, Maguindanao and Sama-Badjao.
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Masculine decorative compositions are usually devised from few basic motifs like circle, bird, leaf and fern, and flower.
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Some of the basic motifs in the feminine form or their ornamental art include the circle, artificial moon, square, rectangle, diamond and zigzag.
Before the advent of commercial paints, earth and vegetable dyes were used.
The common animate representations are the serpent and artificial cock.
The depiction of Human and
animal figures in art inhibited
by Islam
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It is said that when a Badjaw dies, the grave marker used consists of parts of his boat frames.
Distinct part of the marker is the abstracted form of the sea cow with a stylish form of a person riding its back.
The female figures are identified with combs, while the males are provided with turbans.