Holy ivory, dark controversy

It’s - pardon the pun - the elephant in the room.

National Geographic came out with a scathing cover story (“Blood Ivory” by Bryan Christy published in October last year), an eye-opener on how thousands of elephants die each year so that their tusks can be carved into religious objects. A trade that transpires to this very day, experiencing a resurgence even; a route traversed from Africa to Europe to Asia and afterwards to churches, temples and the fortresses of solitude of rich collectors.  Somehow the Philippines and Thailand (as well as China, of course) get dragged into the fray — a Filipino monsignor here, a Thai elephant monk there, and dire news for conservationists everywhere. And here we are at the main gallery of the UST Museum for the “Ars Eboris Sacri (Art of Sacred Ivory): Ivory Controversy” exhibition. On view, dear readers, are religious objects made of ivory, once belonging to the mighty tusked kings of savannahs and marshes.

The very exhibit — admits Rev. Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P., University of Santo Tomas (UST) Museum director — was spurred in part by the controversial article.

 â€œIt’s unfair. We can be accused of condoning these kinds of activities and people might think these ivory pieces were newly acquired, that we are part of this illegally-sourced ivory trade,” Fr. Abaño clarifies, adding that a picture of the ivory crucifix from the UST collection was used in the Nat Geo article.

He amplifies his point. The ivory collection at the UST Museum dates back to the 17th to 20th century, prior to the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES in 1981; the university is not patronizing the production or trade of new ivory pieces; and UST recognizes the value of the ivory items kept in the collection of the museum as pieces of sacred art and cultural artifacts.

“We had to come up with an exhibition to educate our students,” Fr. Abaño stresses, “and at the same time we are not sponsoring the creation of artworks out of elephant tusks. These ivory santos are part of Philippine history. And it is our obligation to preserve them.”

He points to the centerpiece of the exhibition: a crucifix measuring 77 centimeters long and 68 centimeters wide, the largest existing ivory crucifix ever made in the Philippines, dating back to the 16th century or 17th century.

It easily inspires awe, this thing in ivory that depicts a crucified Christ. The “INRI” sign is of ivory as well. The dark hardwood cross is riddled with holes. The priest has two theories regarding this.

“They might be relic holes — reliquaries for bones of saints and martyrs. They might be ex veto. For example, may sakit ka sa mata and you promise Our Lord Jesus Christ na pag gumaling ka, magpapasalamat ka by way of ex voto.”

The supplicant will then have a silver or golden eye sculpted to put onto the wooden cross. “It could also be a piece shaped like a heart with the words ‘Deo Gracias’ or ‘Thanks be to God!’”

The man is a storehouse of religious lore.

Fr. Abaño came to UST in 1991; his first assignment was at the seminary. “As prefect of discipline,” he reveals with a laugh. Was sent to Rome to study cultural heritage at the Gregorian University. His class had 23 students who hailed from 19 different countries. Came back to UST in 1994. Got the responsibility of running the UST Museum which had a re-opening in 1997. “Its role,” says the museum director, “is to educate students outside the formal classroom.” (And amaze visitors with taxidermied creatures and other natural history curios.) The museum nowadays even becomes a concert hall every March or April for the graduating class of the UST Conservatory of Music. The acoustics in the museum, which used to be a chapel in centuries past, must be astounding. The walls, balusters and arches have a lot of tales to tell.

So does Fr. Abaño.

He was one of the researchers of the book Power + Faith + Image, a tie-up between Ayala Museum and UST. “We went around the Philippines and looked at the ivory santos in the churches. Samar, Leyte, Capiz, the entire islands of Cebu and Antique.” Some of the statues featured in the book got lost or stolen, some stolen and subsequently recovered.  

In the past, according to the museum director, carvings of saints by Filipino carvers were even exported to Mexico and Spain, places as faraway as Medina and Avila. The more Chinese the feature, the older the statue is (— the carver being of Chinese descent or influenced by Chinese sculptors). How were ivory statues carved during those times, we ask Fr. Abaño.     

 â€œThe ivory is as hard as our teeth. The carvers would soak it in water for several weeks and then it softens, ready to be carved. Once it desiccates, tumitigas na siya ulit. Just like hardwood. Ivory statues are very easy to preserve — they’re not really affected by light of humidity. Just store them in a safe place.”

 The UST Museum is one such place. Resonating with the music from voice boxes and classical guitars, humming with history unraveling. 

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The show is on view until Sept. 28 at the UST Museum,  Mezzanine Level, UST Main Bldg., University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila. For information, call 781-1815 or 786-1611 local 8269.