MANUNGGUL JAR

BACKGROUND
● Secondary burial jar excavated from a neolithic burial
● Found in Manunggul cave of Tabon cave, Lipuun point, Palawan
● One of the finest phil pre-colonial artworks
● Made from clay and sand soil
● Found by Victor Decalan, Hans Kasten, and Peace Corps of the United States (1964)
● Found alongside with the discovery of the remains of Tabon Man
● Bones of the deceased are the only buried

DESIGN
● Reflected the Filipinos’ ancestors’ religious beliefs
● Connected with the austronesian belief: anito
● Fine lines and intricate designs = artistry of early Filipinos
● Upper part and cover = carved w scroll designs which are painted w hematite
● Sea waves = huynh culture pottery tradition = migration from borneo-palawan area to
southern Vietnam
● Three faces: soul, boatman - guides the soul to the afterlife, and boat - life of its own) -
rendered in the same styles as the other artifacts present during that period
● body is composed of ginhawa and kaluluwa
● Two human figures in a boat = voyage to the afterlife
● One human figure has his hands crossed = widespread practice of arranging a corpse
● Cover = cultural link between the archaeological past and ethnographic present & belief
of Filipinos in the afterlife

WRITTEN OUTPUT
 Michael Charleston B. Chua, a former student under the Department of History of the
University of the Philippines at Diliman, wrote a reaction paper titled “ART AS A VESSEL OF
HISTORY: Emotional Reflections on Culture, Nation, and the Manunggul Jar”. It was featured in
Artes de las Filipinas: A Website in Honor of Philippine Arts and Antiquities. In his reaction paper,
he shared details of the encounters and discussed the historical and cultural aspects of the
Manunggul Jar. Within his published website, he shares photos and memories as commemoration
of his experience seeing the jar at Kaban ng Lahi, National Museum ll - The Museum of the Filipino
People. Chua’s efforts in distributing his knowledge about the jar through websites has educated
many of those who aspire to track the history of the Manunggul Jar.

According to the National Museum of the Philippines, Manunggul Jars existed within the
time period of 895-775 B.C. It’s discovery, along with the Tabon man, was founded by Victor
Decalan, Hans Kasten, and Peace Corps of the United States in 1964 at Tabon Cave Complex,
Lipuun Point, Palawan. The jar is considered to be a masterpiece and one of the finest Philippine
pre-colonial works. The cultural aspect of the Tabon man involves the order of only burying bones
of the deceased.

The Manunggul Jar carries a very distinct design, involving beliefs and cultures of
Philippine ancestors, one of which involves the Austronesian belief called Anito. Fine lining and
intricacy can be found decorated around the jar, embodying the artistry of early Filipinos.
Structures of the jar are made of clay and sand soil, while upper parts and coverage are carved
with hematite-painted scroll designs. Specifications of the cover include a link between the
archaeological past and ethnographic present & belief of Filipinos in the afterlife.

Many symbols of the jar carry historical significance that relates to the culture of early
Filipinos. Sea waves circulated around the jar showcase the Huynh culture pottery traditions and
information regarding the migration from areas of Borneo and Palawan to Southern Vietnam.
Three faces that can be observed from the figures represent the soul, boat, and boatman, while
in addition, these figurines symbolize the voyage to the afterlife. Bodies of the figurines are
composed of ginhawa and kaluluwa, life forces that concern the cycle of the soul. Though the
figurines are both different, the one with crossed hands practices the arrangement of a corpse
while the other who commands the boat leads towards the afterlife.

A Manunggul Jar can only hold value for future references in regards to its history. The
place it holds in the National Museum will open the minds of those who will see the story behind
the creation of the jar.
 REFERENCES

● TEXT
● nationalmuseum.gov.ph
● xiaochua.net
● artesdelasfilipinas.com

● IMAGES
● explora.ph
● xiaochua.net
● masterpieces.asesmus.museum
● flickr.com
● gtlawct.com
● youtube.com
● ineedtoreminisce.wordpress.com
● twitter.com

● VIDEOS
● Xiao Time:Ang banga sa Manunggul: PTV
● Xiao Time: ”ANG PANINIWALANG PILIPINO SA KALULUWA AT ANG MANUNGGUL
JAR “: PTV
● History of Manunggul Jar: Abjiel Guisando
● MANUNGGUL JAR: Lace Matabalan

VIDEOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkzWed7pTpE - Xiao Time: Ang Banga Sa Manunggul -

3:05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2A7AD4C6NA - Xiao Time: "ANG PANINIWALANG

PILIPINO SA KALULUWA AT ANG MANUNGGUL JAR" - 3:21

NOTES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnEGsU5MQi4 - History of Manunggul Jar - 7:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q98iXlxDf1g - MANUNGGUL JAR - 5:06