text: Numerous gold artifacts recovered in the Philippines are believed to have ceremonial purposes.  Some of these figures indicate the Hindu and Buddhist influence which came to the Philippines through regional trade in maritime southeast asia, while others reflect nature-based religious beliefs.
  A notable artifact reflecting indigenous beliefs depicts what has been described as "the large, triangular face of a woman drawn in sharp lines with little shoulders and arms raised in a gesture of worship."
  Visayan indigenous healing beliefs are likewise reflected in a particular variant of kamagi necklaces known as "tunga," which were snake-like in shape and made of “half gold and half tumbaga” gears strung together. These were believed to protect the wearer from the "folk illness" known as pasma.
  Other notable ceremonial artifacts include: the Agusan Image which depicts a female Hindu or Buddhist deity whose identity is disputed, and the gold kinnari, which shows a mythical half-human half-bird figure common in hindu and buddhist parts of Maritime Southeast Asia.