During pre-colonial times, the Philippines were open to trade with their different neighboring countries, but the most frequent one was Chin...
The Philippines were ruled by Western powers - first the Spanish and later the United States, for some 350 years.
Our previous two installments featured ilustrado and principalia class (in the middle to upper class) men’s fashion from around the mid-18th century. By the late 18th century, clothing styles changed. Much like the present day, style changes were driven by the upper class and elite in the western world. The middle to u
A recent trip to Manila and Cebu left me wondering what the contemporary feminist movement looks like in the Philippines. My research unexpectedly led me to learn about a deep-seated tradition of women's leadership in the Philippines.
In stark contrast to the present day, in the 19th century, the Barong Tagalog was so common, it was worn by all segments of society, including the lower classes. Modest barongs were worn by the poor and working poor. Justiniano Asunción’s “Old Beggar Led by a Young Boy”, 19th century. Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo’s “The
Sinibaldo de Mas was the Spanish diplomat to Asia during the 19th century. He was also an adventurer, poet and photographer that introduced photography to the Philippines in 1841. De Mas spent two-and-a-half years in the Philippines, and he wrote the Informe Sobre El Estado de las Filipinas en 1842 (a report on the sta
Baro cerrada translates to “closed garment”, which referred to this barong’s closed collar and neck and its hidden or covered front opening. This version of the barong was worn during the 19th and 20th centuries. Photo of an early 19th century portrait painting of a man in his striped baro cerrada version of the Baro
a pre-colonial Philippine princess OC, inspired from the moon goddess Mayari🫶
Reconstructed pre-colonial Visayan lihinlihin (formal attire). By Xedric "Kuya Kanauai" Samonte.
Pre-Colonial Goldsmithing Village in Philippines by JBulaong 2019 oil on canvas.
The ranks of Pre-colonial Tagalogs Maginoo class men's harem: First, ASAWA. The first or main wife. Nag-iisa lang siya at kailangang mula rin sa uring Maginoo. Second, INASAWA. The secondary wife or concubine with noble status but of lesser rank than her husband. Maaring humigit sa isa ang kanilang bilang. Third, PANGAPOL. The slave concubine. Alipin na pinakasalan ng lalaking Maginoo. Maari ding humigit sa isa ang kanilang bilang. #precolonialphilippines
When many discuss Philippine history, religion and culture, Islam and Muslim people are often not mentioned. Despite arriving in the Philippines in the 13th century and being the first recorded monotheistic religion there, Islam is hardly recognized for its influence on Tagalog history, culture and on the development o
Chinese traders in Manila and Chinese trade ships that traveled around the Philippines formed the basis for the Manila-Acapulco Trade or Manila Galleon Trade. Since trade with Ming dynasty China via the Philippines was so lucrative for Spain, Spanish leaders decided to bring Chinese and Asian goods to the Americas. For
Embroidered fabric predates the Spanish arriving in the Philippines. When the Spanish first encountered upper class native Filipinos, they were already wearing embroidered clothing and using furniture adorned with embroidery. It is highly likely that Filipinos acquired embroidered products and learned embroidery from t
Damian Domingo was an early 19th Century Filipino painter who specialized in portraitures, Religious paintings, and made famous the tipos del pais (Philippine types or scenes) art style.
"BSP precolonial collection provides insights into a glorious past we Filipinos can be truly proud of. First, that we had a distinct cul...
The ancient Kingdom of Tondo, otherwise known as Tundun or Tundok existed circa 900s up to 1589. It was a fortified kingdom located in the Manila Bay area, specifically north of the Pasig River on the island of Luzon. It was an Indianized kingdom in the 10th century built upon and capitalized on being central…
Read Unang Kabanata from the story Ang Tampalasang Alipin by AsmiHiranya (Asmi Hiranya) with 623 reads. sb19ken, kensuson, precolonialphilippines. September 15...
