Santos Series 01: San Ramon & San Roque

The photo above is purported to be a 19^th century or early 20^th century carved santos. I could be wrong but this one looks like San Ramon Nonato because of the white chasuble. This piece came to me a year ago from another island that is famous for its delicacies. It seemed that the previous collector-owner wanted to dispose this along with the ubiquitous San Vicente Ferrer, but among the lot, this San Ramon is the best carved.   San Vicente, San Roque and Virgin Mary Bohol-style are more common than the rest, so getting another saint type is desirable for it gives one’s  collection variety.  This means that if you see a San Agustin or a Sta. Ana or a Sta. Teresa de Avila, get it for more often than not, you won’t find another one of the same type in the next years or so.

 

This 2^nd santos is San Roque (St. Roche).  This was sourced from one of the outlying towns in my province.  Provenance wise, this came from the prominent Callate family whose nonagenarian matriarch had passed away a year ago.  So, one of the remaining heirs who converted to Non-trinitarian Protestantism was only too happy to dispose of their saintly heirlooms apparently in a bid to earn more shopping mileage.  But their issues are not mine, so whatever item they want disposed I shall gladly take. 

Anyway, this San Roque was originally a table top figure. All San Roque statues consist of three parts: San Roque, the angel bearing a scroll, and a dog.  In my case, probably because of wood deterioration, the seller cannibalized the set and mounted the saint and the angel onto a felt-backed wooden frame.  Such frames are common during the 70s-80s.  

 

What I love about this is that the figure is an original from the 19^th century, with just the right amount of folk naiveté.  The saint is well-carved as seen in the beard, the flow of the fabric, and the proportion of the body.  The master-carver must have some training in order to execute such minor expertise.  The angel, however “folkish”, is also original with intact patina. It is important that when collecting Philippine santos, one must try to preserve the patina or choose one that has not been sanded over nor retouched.  However, there are pieces that were painted over several times because of tradition should be reconsidered for this would add another layer of story to the piece instead of destroying it.  Caveat emptor still precedes any decision whatsoever.
 

Some Tips for collectors:

If you encounter a saint type that is rare and uncommon, get it for chances are, you won’t stumble a similar type on the next antiquing expedition.

If a veteran collector or an old family is unloading their goods, check it out. Their items may be choice pieces since they bought it during a time of plenty.

Do not 100% believe the provenance of your antique dealer or runner.  A lot of times, theirs are just hearsays.  Believe it though if you bought the item directly from the owner.

Do diligence check on all desired items. Check for faults, restorations, fakes, etc.

Try to avoid santos that had been sanded over / intentionally excoriated whereby the patina of the poor thing has all but disappeared. 

A Filipino Ceramic Water Filter or Banga or Tapayan

My suki-runner brought this to my house just this morning. His friend was trying to unload this. Provenance-wise, this came from a family who had rich ancestors but now have succumbed to the vicissitudes of life.


He lugged in an American colonial-era (1899-1945) ceramic water filter. The condition was fantastic great. Usually these big hulk of collectibles are either broken, or with parts missing or in cases where they're intact, they're displayed in ancestral homes as heirloom pieces.  I am glad that the only damages seen were the chipped ceramic cover whereby the previous owner tried to restore it using epoxy resin, and one missing filter bar-handle. No gross defects was noted that could have marred the appearance.

A sample of an earthenware banga or tapayan (dont.blink.ph)

The filter is made from indigenous Philippine clay much like the "banga" of old. Since the country doesn't have a ceramic industry like in Delft or China, a lot of local filters are made of clay. Unlike the banga, this one has a filtering mechanism where impurities are cleaned out.  The poor unfortunately had to contend with the earthenware jar or banga or tapayan for storage.  Wasn't there a cholera epidemic during the 1910s? Oh well.

The item has a smooth white-washed outer finish, with flecks of remaining brown paint, labeled with black ink. The body is made of three parts: the cover, the upper reservoir where one pours in the unfiltered water and the lower reservoir which holds clean water.  The upper reservoir fits like a hat on top of the lower part as seen in the middle rim. There is also a brass spout which acts as the spigot, or the "tuburan" or "gripo".

 

 The label here is: 

Dizon Filtro Radinmetor
Reg. Trade Mark
Pat. Apld. (Patent Applied?) For USA & Foreign Countries

C.M. Dizon Mxxxxxx
Porac, Pamp. (Pampanga), P.I. (Philippine Islands)

I have deduced that this water filter is from Pampanga during the American period since the use of the initials PI as opposed to RP for Republic of the Philippines in which the latter was used during the Republic years of the 50s-60s.  Noting the ingenuity of the maker which I think was his reaction to the lucrative importation of European ceramic water filters, this particular filter must have been made during the 30s or 40s.  Why? Think about it.  The Philippine Commonwealth era heralded a period of peace and prosperity for Filipinos. Unlike the early years where importation was rampant marred by the Philippine-American war, and where European ceramic filters were expensively exclusive, Mr. C.M. Dizon (Celestino M. Dizon?) was able to build up capital and build a local factory for making cheaper alternatives using local materials.  This is perhaps why upper-middle class landowners could then afford to buy this type of luxury.

As the water goes into the upper reservoir, two limestone like handles act as filters, which in this case one has been broken off (to my chagrin).

What got me excited is the scarcity rarity of the item. Sure, water filters are de rigeur among wealthy Filipinos during the colonial era, but how often will you come across one that was locally made? I have another filter that my mother bought from a local antique store but it was imported from England.  Almost all of the ancestral houses I have toured in my far away province have imported water filters. If not English, they were either French or German made.  So, seeing one that was manufactured from Pampanga is rarity in itself.  I wonder how many more of this are out there?

A Set of Cosmetic Containers

Couple of years ago, the owner of a rundown antique store in my city has these ceramic cosmetic containers displayed in one of her glass curio cabinets.  These ranged from the late Ming to the Yuan to the Qing dynasty.  They are an odd lot with their covers already gone.  Collectors, especially old matronly ones, favor these types because of their size. Well, anecdotally speaking, that is.

 So, the owner sold me this entire lot for $20.  I was happy with it since collectively, they look good in my cabinet.

However, some tuition fee was inevitable.  I reexamined a few and I suspected that these were modern copies- they looked as if they were machine made and the glaze was too modern for my taste (no cracleur, no rust spots, no potters wheel mark). Well, caveat emptor I guess.

Which ones are fake, can you guess?