The notion of art as a practice separate from

other fields of human activity did not exist in

prehistoric and pre-colonial times in the
Philippines.
Art-making was embedded in other spheres
of social life, such as spirituality and
everyday survival.

Human settlements already existed in the

Philippine islands in prehistoric times
Theories on the origins of the inhabitants of
the Philippines fall between inside and
outside origins

14500 BCE

Rock carvings discovered in Rizal province

dating from 3000 BCE, contemporaneous with
the flourishing of the ancient Egyptian
civilization
Consists of 127 engravings of people, animals,
and geometric shapes
May be regarded as the oldest known work of
art in the Philippines and Southeast Asia
Discovered in 1965 by artist Carlos Botong
Francisco and his group

Declared as National Treasure in 1973, listed

in the World Inventory of Rock Art in 1985,
and included in World Monuments Watch
in 1996
Also placed in the tentative list of UNESCO
World Heritage Sites

ca. 17,000 BCE

ca. 900 CE

1958

ca. 1300 CE

Pre-colonial Philippine society consisted of

small political units scattered all over the
islands.
These units were headed by a chieftain called
rajah or datu.
Units generally remained independent of one
another, at times unified by a common cause.
Relationship between units may be
antagonistic or amiable.

Animism or spirit worship also prevalent in

many parts of Asia
Natural phenomena as manifestations of the
spirits and deities
Rituals to appease the spirits and ask favors
Spirits are represented in nature and
sculptures
Traces of Hinduism and Buddhism prior to
Islamization

Clothing, textile
Body ornamentation (tattoo, jewelry)
Metallurgy
Sculpture
Pottery/earthenware
Weaponry

ca. 890-710 BCE

Secondary burial jar

unearthed in
Palawan
With incised
curvilinear design

ca. 890-710 BCE

Lid features two

human figures riding
a boat

ca. 5 BCE-225 CE

Anthropomorphic jars
discovered from a
cave in Saranggani

Heads were painted

in red and black,
some were adorned
with earrings and
tattoo, and some were
paired with arms,
breasts, and genitals

Also used as
secondary burial jars
Recovered jars have
unique heads with
renderings of facial
expressions

28,000-25,000 BCE

A highly-developed art in pre-colonial

Philippines as its early inhabitants have a
penchant for personal ornamentation
Sophisticated metallurgy techniques were
employed in the production of jewelry,
weapons, and other objects

900-1200 CE

900-1200 CE

900-1200 CE

800-1200 CE

A manuscript written around 1565 which

contains illustrations of the inhabitants of the
Philippine islands at the time of their first
contacts with the Spaniards
Contains descriptions and 75 colored
drawings of various ethno-linguistic groups
in their distinctive costumes

The Bla-bla was the first complex society in Asia

and the Pacific. They lived in the tropical island
of Bla-bla in what is now known as the
Philippine archipelago where their culture
flourished for thousands of years until their
abrupt disappearance which, as based on
comparative study, is allegedly a diaspora to
other parts of the world.
The name Bla-bla was derived from a specie
of large bird that thrived only in that island;
images of which are recurrent to Bla-bla art and
is believed to have been revered as a deity of
the highest order.
The most familiar aspect of the culture is their
art, particularly the aptly named Colossus of
Bla-bla. For the Bla-bla culture, their
understanding and approach in image- and
object-making was primarily spiritual rather than
applied. The oldest objects carved out of stone
represented cultic imagery, such as moon
stones and sun rays while serving quasireligious functions such as territorial markers for
ritual practices, before they became implements
used for survival and practical manufacture.

BODY ORNAMENT
Preserved human thumbs
6,000 years ago
19 pcs, 48 cm
Bla-bla Archaeological Complex

STELAE
Arkose Mudstone
12,000 - 15,000 years ago
25x27x43 cm, 28x36x37 cm, 36x26x44 cm
Bla-Bla Archaeological Complex
Stelae are stone slabs erected for commemorative
functions and as territorial markers to delineate land use
and ownership. In various archaeological sites around the
globe, standing stones automatically connote human
intervention particularly for secular or cultic gatherings.
Three stelae were unearthed in different areas of the Blabla Island. All three are filled with images of human and
animal figures, structures and representations of
astrological bodies etched across their surfaces. Given the
artefacts found in the proximity, the images are believed
to be carved from bone tools.
Found lording over the north-eastern coast of the island,
Stele 1 shows human figures lying on top of structures
believed to have functioned as both sky burials and
vertical gardens. The deceased were tasked to watch over
the crops while they make their way into the spirit realm.
Unearthed at the grasslands of Bla-bla Island, astrological
bodies are etched on Stele 2. Sun, moon and the stars
were viewed with great reverence, even regarded as gods,
in most cultures. This site allegedly functioned as
observatories of various astrological phenomena.
Found atop one of the hills of the southern part of Blabla, Stele 3 reflects the Bla-blas animist beliefs. Plant,
animal and human figures are etched throughout the rock
which is believed to represent the earth. The placement
and location of this particular stele suggest that the site it
was found on was witness to several thousands of years of
nature worship and animist practices.

MINERAL GLAZED STONEWARE FIGURINES

Stoneware
5,500 years ago
29 pcs.
Bla-bla Archaeological Complex
Scattered throughout the island, in burials and settlements, are hundreds of finely crafted stoneware
figurines. It is still unclear whether these functioned as ritual idols or artistic representations because
the figures depicted consists of humans, animals, hybrid creatures and abstracted forms.
Various minerals were used in the glazing of each piece, giving the collection a fine lustre, unique to
other artefacts of this timeframe. The material also indicates that the Bla-bla were able to produce
fires that could go over 1000 degrees in temperature.