Bedazzled

An episode of "Probe" piqued my curiosity about the "Gold of Ancestors" exhibit at the Ayala Museum. Ms. Cheche Lazaro, the host of the show, interviewed the man who found pre-colonial gold treasures while he was working on an irrigation project in Surigao del Norte.

The man spoke of discovering a vast array of gold objects, which he sold to various dealers with the help of a priest who was his friend. His story took on more dramatic twists as the tale of his newfound wealth led his relatives, neighbors, and armed men to ask for their share of his treasure and the proceeds thereof. His daughter said that their family had to change names and move to another province.

At the end of the show, he was brought to the Ayala Museum where he identified some pieces in the exhibit as being among those that he found. He appears to be living modestly now, all the money from his finds dissipated. He claimed to be hopeful of making another fabulous discovery, though. Next time, he promised, he would know the right thing to do.

The exhibit is part of a larger exhibit called "Crossroads of Civilization" which the museum handout describes as "a tripartite exhibition celebrating the cultural crossroads that are the Philippines as seen through a millennium of contact with the great civilizations of South and East Asia."

On the fourth floor of the sleek and modern Ayala Museum, guards wearing gray barongs directed me to the first part of the exhibit. "A Millennium of Contact" showcases Chinese and Southeast Asian trade ceramics in the Philippines. The variety was dizzying. I had no idea there could be so many kinds, from the utilitarian-looking brown pots to really tiny containers with animal shapes in multi-colored hues.

I wondered if pre-colonial inhabitants of the Philippines used them in their daily lives. From the text in the exhibit, pot diggers just showed up in the collectors' and dealers' houses to sell their wares. The archaeological context of those finds will probably never be known. We can only speculate as to what our ancestors were like.

The "Gold of Ancestors" exhibit opens with drama. The entrance resembles the door to a bank vault, similar to the bars of a jail cell. Visitors are made to sit in a darkened room and watch an introductory video, which includes information about how the Philippine islands were formed. Some gold pieces are found on the floor, covered by a hard and clear material. These are spotlighted during the video. I felt as if I was in a First World country.

The star of the show is the long belt of pure gold that the text described as being similar to the sacred thread worn by Hindu Brahmin. All my skepticism about ancient barters involving gold necklaces touching the floor disappeared when I saw it.

I saw gold bowls, a gold laddle handle, earrings, rings, cuffs, bangles, belts, buckles, funeral masks, and other golden things. The workmanship was exquisite. From the text, I learned that in pre-colonial times, even children could tell the grade of gold.

The last part of the exhibit felt anti-climactic after all the dazzle. Entitled, "Embroidered Multiples," it showcases 18th to 19th century Philippine clothes. The exhibit features selections from the Leiden National Museum of Ethnology's collection of Philippine garments acquired from a French diplomat who lived in Manila from 1881 to 1886. Rare embroidered silk trousers worn by men are among the pieces on display. I was shocked by how small the sizes were.

While the rainy and gloomy weather that Sunday afternoon was more suitable for curling up in bed, I'm glad I decided to visit the Ayala Museum instead. It was a history lesson that felt like an "Indiana Jones" movie. I'm planning to go back and see it again.

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