via Daily Tribune, 19 May 2024: The National Museum of the Philippines has repatriated 52 Kulaman limestone burial jars from the U.S., originally from southern Mindanao. These unique artifacts, dating back 1,450 years, were acquired by Sally A. von dem Hagen in the 1970s. The jars highlight the ancient jar burial tradition in the Philippines and are now exhibited at the National Museum of Anthropology.
The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) on 7 May led the turnover ceremony for the Sally A. von dem Hagen Collection of limestone burial jars from the Kulaman Plateau in what was then part of the province of Cotabato, a “successful culmination of its extensive repatriation efforts that began several years ago.”
This collection of 52 pieces were bought in the early 1970s by the late American businesswoman Sally A. von dem Hagen, then living in Manila, from a group of Dulangan Manobo who accidentally discovered the pieces while on a hunting trip. These artifacts were offered to her as she was a known collector.
According to NMP, “Mrs. Von dem Hagen, recognizing the profound cultural significance of these objects, agreed to acquire as many as possible and, over time, established relationships among members of the Manobo community in the area of what is today part of the province of Sultan Kudarat. Having grown fond of her collection, she brought the Kulaman pieces with her when she departed the Philippines for the United States in 1979.”
Source: Kulaman limestone burial jars repatriated and gifted to the National Museum
