UAE’s expat business leaders were given a new comprehensive insight into the Philippines’ rich cultural history through the gold artifacts currently on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The Philippine Embassy in the UAE, led by H.E. Ambassador Hjayceelyn Quintana, invited 22 business owners and leaders coming from different sectors, through the Philippines Partnership Circle, led by its President, Marlene Murphy.
Video from the Philippine Embassy in UAE.
Kirsten Westholter from The Netherlands was impressed with the level of craftsmanship among Filipino people that has persisted for many centuries.
“To be honest, I was more surprised in a good way. These Philippine artifacts are really beautiful and they have interesting stories to tell especially when intertwined with backgrounds of other cultures,” said Westholter.
This was echoed by Shaikh Hamdan from India who, as a frequent visitor of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, said that the ‘Gold Mask’ from the Philippines have striking similarities with other cultures, signifying that Filipinos have more in common with other cultures even from thousands of miles away.
“Whenever you’re here you learn a lot. I looked at the mask from the Philippines together with two different countries that are not even connected by land, yet still, all of them have a gold mask. It’s amazing how these cultures have things in common with one another,” said Hamdan.
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From the entrance at the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s “Grand Vestibule”, the visitors saw the “Gold Mask” first discovered in Butuan, Agusan Del Norte. Meanwhile, in Wing 2, visitors saw the “Gold Cup” excavated from Nabua, Camarines del Sur. Both of these artworks date back to the 10th-13th century and are part of Ayala Museum’s permanent exhibition, titled GOLD OF ANCESTORS: Pre-Colonial Gold from the Philippines.
Dr. Loretta Sanders said that the visit expanded her perception and appreciation of Filipino culture, stressing that gold had been a significant part of the daily lives of Filipinos for hundreds of years ago.
“It changed my perspective on actually the region of the Philippines and how wealthy the area really is and the gold that came from the region. Having the history explained where you can actually know that there were people from the wealthiest to what was considered the poor all had gold jewelry and gold was a part of their everyday life and culture,” said Dr. Sanders.
For his part, Robert Butler from Switzerland praised the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in the UAE and the Philippine Partnership Circle, stating that the cultural exchange among Filipinos to other nationalities is an important activity that highlights not only the uniqueness but more importantly, the likeness of different cultures where expats can find common ground.
“The skill and sophistication that we take for granted today were evident more than 1000 years ago and to have these artifacts from the Philippines on display here in the UAE is amazing. It’s beautiful, lifelike, and you can feel the people – the craftsmen that made it. It takes so much effort to bring cultures and communities together. This strengthens and increases the bonds not only between the Emiratis and the Filipinos but all the people like me that live and do business in the Emirates. So it can only be highly beneficial, and I hope that it will continue,” said Butler.
The Philippines joins the world’s interconnected cultural history, with two gold artifacts that are now on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi! In line with the museum’s 5th anniversary, this collaboration between Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Embassy in the UAE gives residents a special 50% discount through the promo code: PE50%22
