It's not everyday that you get to wear *century-old* accessories. So actress Beauty Gonzalez took the chance to wear such jewelry at the GMA Gala 2023 to express her appreciation for Philippine Ancestral Gold.
Trying to make a statement, Beauty chose the unique accessories to complete her neutral, minimalist look at this year's GMA Gala. "Well, I preferred to wear something quiet... because I wanted to focus it on the appreciation of the Philippine ancestral gold that I was wearing," she told PEP.ph last July 22.
Beauty shared in a separate post that she collected the gold pieces through the years. They were excavated from places like Butuan and Surigao, and had been reworked by Requiza Jewelry.
While her ensemble at the GMA Gala 2023 was praised and loved by some of her followers, the idea of wearing excavated century-old gold pieces did not sit right with others.
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Art critic and curator Marian Pastor Roces lamented the use of "death masks," or the gold used as orifice covers, as modern-day jewelry.
"Someone tell this woman that the orifice covers she is paying "homage" to are grave robber stuff. Because if these were legally excavated, the pieces would belong to the National Museum or the Bangko Sentral," said Roces in a Facebook post.
"If the pieces were excavated decades ago and therefore privately owned by sensible collectors before current restrictions, the question still remains: why death masks as necklace?...This fashion victim is wearing mouth and eye covers: around 10 of them. Which is to say that the necklace was fashioned from excavations of many individuals. That is an astounding number of desecrated graves," said Roces.
According to the website of the Ayala Museum, orifice covers were tradionally used to protect bodies of deceased wealthy individuals, in belief that it will protect the cadavers against evil spirits.
"How on earth is this an homage, exhibiting impunity and crassness? Wearing archaeological gold death pieces, flaunting excess, is odious," said Roces.
Some netizens also called out Beauty, saying the gold pieces should have been respected instead of turned to jewelry.
What do you think of Beauty's century-old gold pieces?
The Kapuso actress is currently starring in the series Walang Matigas na Pulis sa Matinik na Misis with Bong Revilla and Max Collins.
