Palayok: The Philippine Funerary Iron Age Pottery

Funerary pottery in the Philippines is one of the more niche type of antique collectibles here.  It is not well understood.  Casual collectors dismiss this as buraot or cheap collection favoring more the trade porcelain from China and mainland Southeast Asia.  Lack of literature and low supply keep this kind of artifacts out of the mainstream antique market here in the Philippines. However, true collectors who understand these enjoy collecting them, and appreciate their history.  By history, I mean the value of these Iron Age pots and vessels in the contribution to the understanding and knowledge of ancient Filipinos.

Except for the Maitum anthropomorphic jars and other anthropomorphic vessels, these are affordable.  Depending on where you are, these can range from a few hundreds to a couple of thousands of pesos. I got mine for a couple of thousand pesos and many more pieces ranging from 500-800 pesos each.  If you're living in Panay, then you might have encountered stories of collectors hauling pottery for a song. Why? Because a rich cache of pots were found at a well known (for archaeologists like William Solheim) island thereby glutting the antique trade in Iloilo. This made many collectors happy.

This vessel I bought from my itinerant dealer was from that same island. Apparently, recent rains washed away some sand cover thereby revealing a cache of pots. Anyway, I bought this book from the Ayala Museum entitled Pang-alay and it is a treasure trove of  researched information about the Philippines before the age of trading.

Our ancestors made these vessels as "pabaon" for the dead. They were not used for eating or drinking but  were made especially for the internment of the dead. I am not sure whether the degree of stylization of the vessel is indicative of the social status of the family.

From a collector's point of view, here are some insights on this matter:

1.  Examine the object.  The potting is generally thin and surprisingly light-weight.  The color can have an orange rusty tinge or none at all.  Some would have marine encrustations indicative that these were found either at the shoreline or under the sea.  A lot have simple decorations of incised or chevron patterns, some have none at all, while some are stylized with roped indentations.  So, due to scant information on this, even plain vessels can still be collectible.

2.  Look for restorations.  I discovered several days after my purchase that one of the vessels has a restoration.  I had to consider it as my tuition fee.   This happens to all collectors, and because of the few books on the subject, you are left to your own device on how to spot fakes and reproductions.  Check the vessel's weight.  Inspect the color.  If there's a break in the design or consistency of the medium, it may be an indication that the vessel may have been tampered.  Marine encrustations can be a distraction, so be wary if they seem pasted. Look for creeping patterns of calcification because if they were pasted, you'll know.

3.  Read & Research.  Search the Internet for journals.  Correspond to William Solheim, the Philippines' eminent archaeologist whose expertise deals with this. You will have to invest in books like Pang-alay which you can buy from Ayala Museum in Makati or you can buy Kayamanan, a book on Arturo de Santos' collection found at the BSP. Kayamanan book is however out-of-print.

4. Visit the Metropolitan Museum.  Go to the basement level of the Met and you'll find the jewelry and the pottery of ancient Filipinos all in their finest glory.  When I saw them I was gobsmacked. It was fantastic to see those. 

5. Visit Antique Shops. Ask if they still have Iron Age pots and vessels. Some dealers would rather use the term "palayok" than "iron age". If you do find one, then haggle it to death so you can get the best deal. 

Happy Antiquing!