Tangible-Movable Cultural Properties

(NOTES)

Tangible Cultural Property

- refers to cultural property with historical, archival, anthropological, archaeological,

artistic and architectural value and with exceptional or traditional production, whether of
Philippine origin or not, including antiques and natural history specimens with significant
value.

Tangible movable Cultural Property

- identified tangible-movable heritage as those managed indoor or as collection resource.

(Galla (2001))
- are often referred to as heritage objects, or artifacts. They are made by human beings in a
particular period of time. Therefore, these are products and expressions of culture. The
values, customs and traditions can be seen through a movable heritage item. It may also
reflect the natural environment of the people.

Tangible movable Cultural Property

are commonly categorized as follows:

Heritage objects

Evidence of the material culture of people and their history, often collected in museums due to
their cultural or natural significance (e.g., archaeological artifacts).

Artworks:

Representation and record of the aesthetic traditions and creativity of the local community.

Archives or documentary heritage:

Written, typed, printed materials, or photos, which are significant because they provide important
historical evidence to the place. These include audiovisual heritage such historical voice tapes,
videos, films.

Tangible movable Cultural Property

can be found in the following repositories:

 Museums
  Churches
 Antique/Curio Shops
 Home (heirlooms)
 Private Collections
 Libraries
 Schools and Offices
 LGU

Tangible movable Cultural Property

When mapping movable heritage, the following categories are used to classify the identified
objects:

Archaeological Objects

objects that have been collected in archaeological sites and may be classified according to
artifacts such as stone tools, metal, modified shell, stone ornaments, glass, modified bone or
shell, meteorites, ceramics (stoneware, porcelain, earthenware), and others.

The other classification includes ecofacts, which refer to archaeological objects that are derived
from natural specimens such as shells, bones, fossils, plant remains and others.

Ethnographic Objects

objects which are used by people and communities in many aspects of their lives. They are made
from both organic materials - those derived from plants and animals - and inorganic substances
like metals, glass and mineral pigments. Organic and inorganic materials are often found in
combination.

Ethnographic objects can be classified according to:

Work implements

- materials used for work such as farm implements, carpentry tools, calculators and the
like;

household items

- objects used at home such as utensils, lamps, decors, etc.

crafts

- objects that are made by hand, usually as part of a tradition of a particular community,
such as baskets and mats;
Weaponry

- objects that have been used for warfare and protection such as spears, bow and arrow, etc.

textiles

- objects/artifacts from natural plant fibers or synthetic fibers that are used as clothing or
garment, blanket, and the like. Usually, these are traditionally hand-woven.

Adornment

- refer to jewelry pieces or objects to beautify oneself such as rings, bracelets, headdresses,
etc.;

Musical instruments

- objects that are used to produce sound or music such as drums, flutes, strings, etc.

Religious Objects

- objects or materials used in rituals, prayers, and spiritual activities such as images,
rosaries, vestments, and bibles. These may include objects used by any religion, cult, or
ritual practice.

Works of Industrial/Commercial Arts

- objects that have been produced in commercial quantities. Listed under this form are:
ceramics, wood heraldic items, coins, crests, arms and ammunition, vehicles, badges,
coats of arms, buttons, ships, etc. These also include furniture such as beds, dining tables,
chairs, etc.

Artworks

- may be classified according to specific types such as painting, sculpture, printwork, etc.
Documenting artwork is quite different from mapping ethnographic objects.

The following data set is needed for a comprehensive description of a heritage artwork:

a. title of the artwork;

b. photo;

c. type;
d. name of the artist;

e. nationality of the artist;

f. date of creation (if known);

g.medium or material (e.g., acrylic on canvas, watercolor on paper, etc.);

h. dimensions;

i. edition from the original (especially when the artwork comes in a series or reproductions);

j. subject of the artwork (e.g., portrait, seascape, nude, etc.);

k. significance;

l. description;

m. status/ condition;

n. ownership (present and previous owner) and address or where the artwork can be found.

Archival Holdings

documents with heritage significance and can be classified according to the type of material such
as:

a. Paper – e.g., birth, marriage, and death certificates, etc.

b. Parchment vellum – e.g., church documents written on this material

c. Photographs

d. Magnetic media – e.g., cassette tape, vinyl record

e. Manuscript

f. Books

g. Negatives – e.g., camera negatives, microfiche, etc.

h. Others.
Natural History Specimens

refer to objects that are part of a natural history collection. These are usually found in schools,
science museums, and in some cases private collections. These include biological objects such as
plant and animal specimen collections and environmental samples. Geological and
paleontological objects are also included.

Documentation Proper

I. Background Information
Name of the Object: Write the common name and its Filipino or English equivalent (if
applicable).

Photo: Take a photo of the document according to its orientation. For example, the photo of a
bust of a hero should be taken from the front and not at the back of the bust. There are objects
that may require you to take shots from different angles. If this is the case, you can include more
than one photo in your mapping form.

Type: The forms require you to check the specific type. This would vary according to each form.

Year/Date Produced: If the owner knows the year the object was produced, this would not be a
problem. However, most of the time, this data is difficult to ascertain. You can look for clues
such as the signature and date of a painting, for example; or the make of a car or an object which
can be etched in some part of the object and the kind of design which will give you a clue as to
the Estimated Age of the object.

II. Description of the Object

The mapper should also make a detailed description of the object by describing the material (e.g.,
wood, stone, canvas), its use and dimensions. Observe the following guide when taking
measurements of objects:

Measuring Objects: Make sure you have the proper measuring instrument with you to ensure
accuracy. Mappers should be ready with a ruler, measuring tape, meter stick, etc.

There are no hard-and-fast rules for doing measurements. Always remember that your aim is to
document and preserve, and the more accurate and methodological your measurements are, the
better.
III. Stories/ Narratives/ Beliefs/ Practices Associated
The stories, beliefs, and practices associated with the object should also be documented. The
story can tell something about the history of the object and its role in the community. For
example, a religious object may figure in many of the town festivities and events such as the Sto.
Niño de Cebu. Some respondents may even tell something more personal about the object.

IV. Significance
The assessment of significance of an object follows two levels.

A. The primary criteria refer to a general assessment of the significance of the object based on
the rubrics used in this toolkit. Significance can be historical, aesthetic, economic, scientific,
social, and spiritual.

B. The assessment of its comparative criteria determines further the inherent value of the
heritage object. This is based on four categories that should be determined by the mapper:

1. Provenance: Write a narrative on the origin of the object, the history of ownership, and the
context of use.

2. Representativeness: Determine if the object can stand as a good representative of the

particula category of the object, way of life or historical theme. For example, the winnowing
basket has an oblong shape. Is this how other winnowing baskets in the community look like? If
yes, then the object can be considered as a representative sample.

3. Rarity: Assess if the object is rare, unusual or particularly a fine example of its type. For
example, a cedula from the late 19th century is very rare.

4. Interpretive potential: Write something about how the object has the capacity to interpret
and demonstrate aspects of experience, historical themes, people and activities; or the capacity to
tell a story. It also refers to the object’s potential to teach or educate an aspect about culture. For
example, a Ming jar found in Sta. Rosa, Laguna would show that the Filipinos had been trading
with the Chinese prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers.

V. Conservation Status

Mapping movable heritage requires an assessment of the Physical Condition of the object.
Because of time, wear and tear, exposure to elements, etc., the object may exhibit one or more of
the following conditions:

1. Yellowing or stains – usually seen on paper, textiles and natural materials such as wood,
bamboo, etc.
2. Fading – a condition when the original color, shine, etc., are no longer present.

3. Foxing – presence of rusty brown spots usually evident in photographs. These are actually
caused by microorganisms which produce such iron impurities.

4. Accretion – accumulation of deposits of foreign material on an object. For example, a kettle

may form accretions of calcium carbonate over time due to mineral deposits from water.

5. Fingerprints – marks on objects made by fingers.

6. Tears/Breaks – overtime some archival materials such as paper may have tears. This
condition can also be seen in artworks or even in ethnographic objects.

7. Losses – a mapper should note if there are missing parts in a particular object.

8. Folds – any evidence of bending over (usually of a thin material such as paper) so that it
comes in contact with itself

9. Creases – refers to a line or mark made by folds on paper.

10. Wrinkles – the presence of several folds or creases, such as a condition produced by
crumpled paper.

11. Brittle – old objects may exhibit this condition, where parts or the whole object itself has a
tendency to break or fracture easily.

12. Abrasion – refers to cuts or bruises on an object. For example, a metal sculpture may have
such condition due to scraping or scrubbing.

13. Molds – refer to fungi that often appear as stains on objects. They may come in various
colors and usually a damp or moist environment promotes such growth.

14. Insect infestations – objects may play host to certain insects, which may eventually cause
damage to an object, artwork or archival holding. For example, the silverfish (Lepisma
saccharina) attacks books and manuscripts, or termites (Order Isoptera) may cause damage to
furniture or a sculpture.

15. Holes – damage to an object causing an opening or gap