What Sort Of Art Or Craft Objects Have You Acquired While Here?

[manofthecoldland]

   Can't say that I have any here in our house, but I did acquire a few inexpensive items that I took back to the coldland, i.e. the baguio wooden head cup, a variety of wooden back scrathers from Palawan, San Fernando etc. I really haven't a display use for much of anything, but I enjoy seeing whats on the market in the tourist hot-spots, on ebay.ph, olx etc.

   Itinerate peddlars occasionally carry paintings and diorama/boat model type things around even in the provinces, but its been awhile since I saw that again.

   We do have a large art display shop that I pass by daily, but its mostly for the very wealthy. Went in there once and wondered who bought the stuff, but they must be doing OK since they rebuilt it after Yolanda hammered it.

   One foreigner friend has quite a few large, hardwood statue carvings in his large home, like you find in the Baguio woodshops, but thats about the limit of my experience here in viewing private art. 

   I've been to the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of the Filipino People just outside of Intramuros a couple of times, but was sort of disappointed by the displays and ... no people in the place.

   The museum was great the first time, but the second time.... lots of the good displays weren't there anymore it seemed to me.

   Yes, I know that most of the artwork was destroyed during WWII, so not much was preserved. But they did manage to archive Imelda's butterfly sleeve gowns during the next phase of history. :morning1:

[robert k]

I will get a working mans bolo next time. I have seen some that ranged from garbage tourist stuff to what looked like some really nice tempering. That they are not polished doesn't mean they are not art, the art is in the using.

[Queenie O.]

I have a vintage collection of those big hanging shell chandeliers hanging here and there in my house. The similar ones that can still be purchased from  shellcraft vendors in Bohol and Mactan.  Also a pair of those giant wooden fork and spoon sets hanging up just for fun. They used to be popular here in the seventies, and many Filipino kitchens had them on the wall. The funny thing is that they were all purchased on ebay while I was living in the States! I guess in the past American and Filipino tourists brought them back from trips and they eventually made their way to ebay and into my balik bayan boxes:) I'm glad to have them though, along with some local folk art paintings that I've also found.

[Mike S]

When I moved here I half expected to find some decent antiques but so far I have only seen 1 real antique display about 5 years ago in Cebu at an out of the way mall ....... the woman there had some very nice old wooden furniture ..... knives ..... pottery and other stuff .... prices weren't to bad but not cheap either .... but since then I have come to realize that termites and bok-bok eat wood and metal objects go to the junk man ..... glassware or crockery and other items get used until broken or again sold as scrap ...... most stuff when handed  down gets turned into cash for a few pesos or destroyed rather than continuing to be kept as family heirlooms ..... 

 

In the US I had many fine pieces that I picked up over some 20 years of collecting .... not just collecting but actually using the items everyday .... tables .... dressers .... guns and weapons ..... crockery ..... glassware and bottles etc. ...... (well some not EVERY day) ....  sadly I only brought 2 pocket watches with me ... one belonged to my great-great grandfather and the other was a very nice one used as a sample for a traveling watch salesman ....

 

Oh well times change and life moves on .... :hystery: :hystery: :hystery:

:cheersty:

[Old55]

In all the years we visited Philippines I have yet to find one high quality hand crafted artistic item. A retired Filipino Dr. friend in Manila has some amazing wood work in his home and lovely hand made table with matching chairs so I know it can be done but must be very rare.

[Jack Peterson]

In all the years we visited Philippines I have yet to find one high quality hand crafted artistic item. A retired Filipino Dr. friend in Manila has some amazing wood work in his home and lovely hand made table with matching chairs so I know it can be done but must be very rare.

 Living in the Provinces is good on this issue, Cycling around as I do I see many Older men sitting on their Terraces(Porches) Wittling away and some of the Stuff is quite Good. We had some Flower Vases made a couple of Years ago, none were actually matching but then That can be the beauty of some things "Unique"

[Jack Peterson]

:tiphat:

 When it comes to Furniture and things we have had all ours made from scratch, we have a Good Craftsman that we just say this and that and he well, just does it. I went down to his shop a while ago and I have some photos of his work. It is not what you call Objects -de- Art but to me it is His Art as not many will have the Things he does for us. He is in the Middle of making some Furniture for a friend I recommended him too and the Photos are mainly of this work he is doing for him.

You just can not get this sort of thing in the Shops, Even my main Door and Sliding Doors together with the Stools in the House Photos are all Hand Crafted. Some things, they are very good At (Local Craftsmanship that is)

 

 

 

To Finish, our Doors and stools

The Only thing we bought ready Made, was the Large coffee table we have and the 3 piece suite.

The Cost was not That Great.(Big)

 

Jack :thumbsup:

[Gratefuled]

I agree that there is some very good wooden furniture here. Some better than others. Some Rattan out door furniture is well made. We have 2 rattan rocking chairs and a rattan bench outside. 

We have 2 real nice doors made of Narra wood. Very hard wood and carved superbly.  Wife says Narra wood is the national wood here. It is not everywhere. I don't care, I like it.

[earthdome]

 I've been to the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of the Filipino People just outside of Intramuros a couple of times, but was sort of disappointed by the displays and ... no people in the place.

 

If you like art you might want to stop by the Ben Cab Museum in Baguio. It is a mix of filipino art and historic items. Ben Cab is a famous filipino artist.

[Mike S]

If anyone gets a chance visit the museum in Cebu .... it is in a huge compound and has something for anyone .... we went there several times but be for warned you as a foreigner will pay a higher price even with a permanent ACR I card .... but the first building you go into is well worth it both downstairs and upstairs .... lots of historic artifacts in both places .... upstairs is the WW II exhibit with Japanese weapons as well as tons of other stuff ..... out laying buildings show all the presidents ... important people of the Philippines and a building of flower paintings .... we just skimmed through some of these .... :thumbsup:

:cheersty: