by Anna Gamboa
MANILA – For too long, many Filipinos and foreigners have labored with the mistaken perception that the country languished in an age of ignorance until the arrival of Western influence. An exhibit hopes to contribute in dispelling that notion, shedding some golden light on the matter.
From September 10, 2015 to January 3, 2016, the Asia Society will present “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms” –an exhibit which will coincide with a series of lectures on the various aspects of pre-colonial Filipino culture which employed gold in everyday adornment, trade, and burial rites. It will be the first time an exhibit of this magnitude will be brought to the United States, highlighting the skill and artistry of pre-colonial Philippines.
Displaying a spectacular cache of over 120 objects discovered over the past 40 years from various sites from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the focus of the exhibit will be on ancient communities located in Butuan, Samar, Cebu, Leyte, Palawan, Mindoro, Marinduque and Luzon. The recovered treasures include necklaces, bangles, beads, waistbands, ceremonial weapons, ritual vessels, and other implements displaying intricate workmanship and great artistry. The carefully selected items will be on loan from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which houses the Met’s gold collection; and from the Ayala Museum, which houses the Loscin collection.
Prized items from the exhibit include the kinnari (currently at Ayala Museum), a vessel found in Butuan depicting a winged woman whose distinctly Filipina features were formed by the same deft hand that depicted her graceful bird-like wings and feathers, the carefully combed hair and neat bun, and a diadem adorning her brow. The fact that pre-Hispanic Filipino subcultures were sophisticated enough to have seven different grades distinguishing the quality of gold—“dalisay” or 24K being considered the best quality—points at a lost history or narrative when the Philippines had a rich trading culture that not only used gold as payment for goods and services, but also utilized it in the afterlife.
Collaborated upon by Ayala Museum’s Florina Capistrano-Baker, and Asia Society’s Adriana Proser, the exhibit will also showcase present-day accessory designers: Wynn Wynn Ong; Tina Ocampo of Celestina; Bea Valdes; and Rafe Totengco.
Celebrating the treasures of a storied past, “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms” hopes to instill pride, a strong sense of national identity and legacy for Filipinos lucky enough to behold these items. Laden with history and pride, these are artifacts now worth far more than their weight in troy ounces.
For more updates, log on to AsiaSociety.org/Philippines2015
