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Natural History |
Philippine Religious Images |
Coins, Medals and Memorabilia |
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Visual Arts |
Ethnography |
Non-Philippine Oriental Arts |
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PHILIPPINE RELIGOUS IMAGES
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Christian religious imagery in the Philippines consists of a wide variety of objects which
includes those brought into the country in the mid-16th century and a large number of those
locally produced, up to the end of the 18th century. When Spain colonized the Philippines
in the 16th century, missionaries, soldiers and sailors brought their Christian religious images
with them. These were statues, paintings, picture books and prints meant for the spiritual
well-being of the colonizers as well as for use in the conversion of the peoples they would
encounter. |
Strictly taken, the term santo, sometimes imagen, is a folk term meaning a Christian
religious image that may be carved, molded or painted, made in the Philippines, produced between
1565 to 1898. Popularly, the word includes the very first images brought to the Philippines from
Spain and other European countries, and some from South America. Locally, friars and Filipino
and Chinese craftsmen made most of the images.
What gives Philippine religious imagery its unique identity is that, although based on
Occidental models, the Oriental artisans produced images with a special blending of Spanish,
Chinese and Filipino characteristics. Some pieces show some dominant traces of Chinese features,
or Filipino pre-Hispanic (for instance, Ifugao) traits, giving rise to the possibilitym
of at least identifying the nationality of the image-maker for a certain piece of work.
As this collection of artwork was meant for pious purposes, rather than aesthetic,
no craftsman has left his identification on the works he produced. Although here and there some
names are given, these cannot be ascertained most of the time. Date and origin of the pieces,
however, may be established with some success. They are indicated in the works or the information
can be traced, for example, to the year of the construction of the church in which an image is found.
The kind of wood it is made of can lead to the province or part of the country of its origin.
Further scientific research can reveal the year of manufacture. As a whole, the bulk of what exists
today will have to form part of anonymous Philippine art.
The whole collection of what began as religious works belongs to a unique form of art
that shows not only artistic and technical skill, but more so, the enthusiasm and spirit with which
the Christian Faith was accepted by the Filipinos.
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