The University of Santo Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences is the oldest existing museum in the Philippines. It started as a ''Gabinete de Fisica'', or observation room, of

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...

botanical Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Gree ...

and

biological Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary in ...

collections in the 17th century. Under the old Spanish educational law the collections were used as classroom materials, especially in

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practice ...

and

Pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links healt ...

History

Ramon Martinez, O.P., a professor of natural history, founded the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences in 1871. However, it was Casto de Elera, O.P., who started to systematically gather and catalogue all the collections, some of which date back to 1682.UST Museum of Arts & Sciences
retrieved 22 February 2010 Considered the oldest school-based museum in the Philippines, the UST Museum became a repository of scientific and artistic articles, and objets d’art. Starting in 1941, the museum acquired the works of Filipino masters such as

Fernando Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...

and Pablo Amorsolo, Carlos Francisco, Vicente Manansala, and

Galo Ocampo Galo B. Ocampo (October 16, 1913 – September 12, 1985) was a Philippine artist. He was also the first Filipino to study heraldry and was a member of the International Institute of Genealogy and Heraldry in Madrid. Ocampo was born in Santa Rit ...

. The museum has permanent displays for specimens of natural history,

ethnographic Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject ...

materials, Oriental art objects, Philippine religious images, paintings, and Coins, Medals, and Memorabilia. The painting collection includes works from the 17th to the 20th century. The museum also houses the museum gallery, a souvenir shop, and a mini-library. The museum gallery has served as the venue for art exhibitions.

Collections

* Natural history * Visual arts * Philippine religious images * Coins, medals and memorabilia * Non-Philippine Oriental arts * Ethnography

Facilities

* Library * Museum gallery * Curio shop * Conservation laboratory

References

Literature

* {{authority control Museum of Arts and Sciences Museums in Manila Art museums and galleries in the Philippines Museums established in 1871 1871 establishments in the Philippines University museums in the Philippines Natural history museums in the Philippines Buildings and structures in Sampaloc, Manila 19th-century religious buildings and structures in the Philippines