Medium in Folk Art

Numerous objects for daily use which are found all over the country are evidence that native of the Philippines have involved themselves in visual arts. Crude stone tools have been excavated in batanggas, Cagayan, Davao, Palawan, and the Central Luzon area. Aside from tools and weapons, pottery and later jewelry were designed. The first containers served to enclose and protect the body of the dead relative. Coffins were made out of tree barks and fibers woven into mats. Receptacles of food and other belongings to accompany the dead on his journey to the other world were made of leaves, wood, and bamboo.



Mans earliest jewelry were shell flowers, leaves and plumage. Metals soon became a part of the materials, and so were beads of glass carnelian, agate, and gold.

Bamboo and Palm Leaves. Most native houses were single room construction with walls of bamboo and palm leaves. These houses rested on four posts and the access to them was through a bamboo ladder.


Brass. The elegance of Maranao brasswork is best seen in Kabul and the gadur, which are jar-like containers with covers that resemble the stately dome of a mostque.


Wood. the general term for wood carving in the Muslim regions is called okir. Most of the santos during the Spanish period are carved out of wood, the most available material.


Easel painting in the country was introduced by the Spanish colonizers. Sculpture and architecture were of Western styles.

Lime. The use of lime in the construction of buildings was introduced bu Father Antonio Sedeno, a Jesuit during the colonial period. He was responsible for constructing the first fortress, the Nuestra Senora de Guia Fort in Manila.



Bone and Ivory. Statues of the affluent families during the colonial times were made of bone and ivory. In the other statues, only the visible parts of the saint's body such as the hands, heads and feet were made of ivory and bone.



Stone, Brick and Tiles. The Spanish colonial house resembles the Spanish houses only in its use of stone, brick and tiles.


Clay. This is a good medium in pottery and figures in Terra Cotta.