Survivor

THEME DAY: WOOD • This high relief screen made of narra and painted a deep chocolate brown is all that remains of the woodwork of the 19th century San Ignacio Church in Intramuros. The screen is attributed to Isabelo Tampingco (or Tampinco, 1850–1933), one of Manila's best sculptors at the time. Tampingco and his atelier were commissioned to create all of the San Ignacio's interior woodwork and it was largely because of their handiwork that the church was hailed as the most beautiful in Manila from the late 19th century to the early 20th. The church was put to the torch by the Japanese in 1945 during the Battle of Manila. The screen survived because it was borrowed by the RVM sisters from the Jesuit priests before the war and used in their central house in the southern part of the city, which was not as badly razed as the northern areas. All that remains of the church itself is its concrete shell. Come back tomorrow to find out about the bust, but would you care to guess who it is?



See glorious photos of wood in all its varied colors and textures from City Daily Photo bloggers. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.