Cotabato limestone artifacts exhibit & lecture

Rare pre-colonial artifacts from the Sally von dem Hagen collection

FOR the first time ever, pre-colonial limestone artifacts from Cotabato will be presented to the Los Angeles public. The exhibit will be launched on March 7, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the FASGI Bayanihan Center, located at 135 North Park View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. The display of rare limestone urns, covers and figures are from the Sally von dem Hagen Collection. The exhibit launch will feature an introduction by Philippine Consul General Edgar Badajos and a short lecture by Dr. Stephen Acabado, Director of the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Chair of the UCLA Archaeology Interdepartmental Program.

The purpose of the exhibit is to engage the more than half a million Filipinos in Los Angeles to be active participants in reclaiming our collective material culture. We hope to: (1) elevate Filipino American identity by increasing knowledge on shared Filipino history and culture; (2) dispel propagated myths and provide accurate information, especially those in reference to pre-Colonial indigenous people; and (3) honor the legacy of Sally von dem Hagen. According to Dr. Acabado, “Access to heritage information facilitates a strong sense of ethnic identity. Studies have shown that immigrant youths exposed to their parents’ culture and history are more likely to succeed later in life. We hope that this event is the first of many engagements with the LA Filipino community.”

The artifacts to be exhibited were likely constructed approximately 2800-1000 years ago and most were used as secondary burial urns. A Monobo tribe sold the pieces to Sally von dem Hagen over a period of two years in the late 1970s. The artifacts were removed from caves, located in Manobo land in Cotabato, and sold over a series of blessings and rituals. All sales were well-intentioned with the understanding that the tribe needed financial help and the buyer would treat the items with respect, borne out of her love for ethnic Filipino culture, and would eventually be shared with the Filipino community. In Mrs. von dem Hagen’s own words, “When one views the collection in its entirety, one gets an uncanny view into the culture, artistic expression, and view-of-the-world of the ‘primitive’ society that once existed so long ago in the mountainous jungles of Mindanao. The jars seem to call out, telling us that the concerns of the human heart are ageless and changeless. I would hope that the collection could be kept together for that reason.”

The Filipino American Service Group (FASGI) is humbled to be the caretaker of these artifacts while logistics are being negotiated for repatriation to the National Museum of the Philippines. Consistent with Filipino tradition,