- Manunggul Jar
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Manunggul Jar Year 890-710 B.C. Type Burial jar Location Museum of the Filipino People The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site in Manunggul cave of Lipuun (present day Quezon, Palawan) dating from 890-710 B.C.[1] The two prominent figures at the top handle of its cover represent the journey of the soul to the after life.
The Manunggul Jar is widely acknowledged to be one of the finest Philippine pre-colonial artwork ever produced and is a considered as a masterpiece. It is considered as a national treasure and it is designated as item 64-MO-74[2] by the National Museum of the Philippines. It is now housed at the Museum of the Filipino People and is one of the most popular exhibits there.
Discovery of the jar
It was found by Dr. Robert B. Fox and Miguel Santiago in 1962. It was found alongside the discovery of the remains of Tabon Man. The faces of the figures and on the prow of the boat have eyes and mouth rendered in the same style as other artifacts of Southeast Asia of that period. Note the depiction of sea-waves on the lid. This style of decoration places this jar in the Sa-huýnh-Kalanay pottery tradition of Southern Vietnam. The steersman's oar is missing its paddle, as is the mast in the center of the boat, against which the steersman would have braced his feet. This symbolizes that they are traveling to the next life. In secondary burial, only bones were placed in the jar, and the jar itself is not buried.
References
- ^ "Museum of the Filipino People - Archaeological Treasures (Kaban ng Lahi)". National Museum of the Philippines. http://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/National%20Museum/Museum%20of%20the%20Filipino%20People.html#Archaeological. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ pp. 40-41 Father Gabriel Casal & Regalado Trota Jose, Jr., Eric S. Casino, George R. Ellis, Wilhelm G. Solheim II, The People and Art of the Philippines, printed by the Museum of Cultural History, UCLA (1981)
Government
cultural
agenciesNational Commission for Culture and the Arts · National Historical Commission of the Philippines · National Museum · National Library · National Archives · Cultural Center of the Philippines · Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino · Sentro RizalCategories
of cultural
propertiesUNESCO World Heritage Sites · National Cultural Treasures · Important Cultural Properties · National Historical Landmarks · National Shrines · National Monuments · National Heritage Houses · Works of National Artists · Marked Structures · Other Cultural PropertiesCategories:- National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines
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