Jose Algue's Atlas de Filipinas

From the blurb of Lot.847 from Old World Auctions, it describes the atlas as such:

 A hard to find, superbly detailed and beautifully colored atlas with two title pages, the first in Spanish; "Atlas de Filipinas Coleccion de 30 Mapas" with attribution to Jose Algue (Director del Observatorio de Manila), and the second, with an introduction by Henry S. Pritchett, is titled "Atlas of the Philippine Islands", and is GPO Special Publication No. 3. With four pages of tables followed by an extensive 17 page index of place names, this example is a mine of information. There are 30 full-page maps published by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, but printed with Spanish titles, and each is presented in eye-catching full color.

The nice thing about catalogs is that the level of description is quite high. Yes, the same atlas can fetch as much as $450 in some auction houses and local collectors love to disbound it and sell individual maps for such a high price. Know that such colonial paper artifacts are quite rare to come by in its native Philippines because of the humidity, heat, mildew that can wreck a perfectly nice map.  Also, loss brought about by war and disinterest added to the scarcity of the atlas.  This is why I cannot fault sellers making a killing by selling a single map to someone from that area.  I saw someone from Ebay trying to sell a piece for $35-50.  My golly. So the best bet is to get it overseas.

I got a couple copies of the atlas in such a poor state. However, being in a poor state does not mean the maps are affected.  There may be scuffings on the cover, a slight waterstain on the frontispiece and discoloration on the back but the maps are all immaculately preserved.  Do not bother buying a full set if there are foxings, mildews or crap affecting the maps themselves. I thinks it's worth next to nothing. Get one that's clean.

 I love this atlas acutally. Thank you, Fr. Algue for the effort.  All the pieces are collectible, scarce but not rare, and since they are in Spanish (though published in the US), they lend a nice Hispanic colonial air to it. 

Looking through the maps, one would see towns and villages that we all knew.  I have looked at the Cavite area and some villages that were printed on the map have already been gobbled up by towns rendering them quasi-invisible. Also you will enjoy looking at the Spanish routes and roads especially at the absence of such in the Cordillera region.  You will learn the old names of provinces that have been broken up or renamed.  This atlas is such a joy to read even if half of it is already lost to the ashes of history.

If you're into Filipiniana, this is a must in your collection.

A Celadon Jarlet

This small celadon jarlet is one of many found here in South East Asia. They are reasonably priced and highly collectible.They were export pieces previously laden with medicines, balms and expensive oils. According to the writings of Roxanna M. Brown and the artifacts of Sten Sjostrand, these ceramics were exported from Southern China during the Song to the Interregnum period. According to Sten Sjostrand in his site, he stated that “their low-fired celadon glaze consists of 1.2-1.5% iron oxides that turn green during reduction-atmosphere firing.  If sufficient temperature was not achieved, the iron oxide would accumulate on the surface in the form of iron crystals.” Such examples turned out in vast quantities in Sjostrand’s salvage of the Royal Nanhai wreck (1400-1500). And here in the Philippines, they're quite common among collectors and antique shops.

As for the retail price? Cheap to quite reasonable. Collectivity? Highly. Imagine if you have a wall or cabinet full of these little morsels of history.  It would definitely be the highlight of your home.

Antique Decanters

As long as I could remember, my mother has these three antique glass decanters. The other two I purchased from my local antique dealer.  Anyway, these wine/sherry decanters are a mystery to me.  Are they Spanish in origin? Central European perhaps? The green one is in fact uranium glass. I checked it with a portable black light. Pity it has a hole on the side.

One (see 1st photo) has a YOMEIGO marking on the base. It must have been a Japanese manufacturer from the Taisho or Showa period.  The other one has a HERMANN - HAMBURG mark presumably Germanic in origin.

These bottles must have been imported during the end of the 19th century all the way to the 1950s, many from the prewar period.  I surmise these were the tipple containers of choice for the bourgeoisie (in Filipino, "burgis") especially during the heyday of the American colonial period (1898-1946) wherein the middle and upper class Filipinos were able to enjoy imported goods in such unhindered quantities.

If you can imagine hacienderos in tuxedos in their Art Deco manors quaffing their vinos and brandy de jerez and smoking Tabacalera cigars during the annual cotillion watching Filipinas in butterfly-sleeved ternos, then you can imagine how these decanters were used during those times. Think Oro, Plata, Mata.

This is the uranium decanter in the collection.  This must have been produced during the 20s and 30s during the era of Depression glass because uranium or vaseline glass virtually disappeared at the start of WWII.

As for the value of these decanters, there's no hard and fast rule since there's barely a club that specializes on this type of artifact. If anyone knows, or would like to offer theirs, send me an email. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

A Duo of Chinese Brownwares

 

 A few weeks ago, I spotted a couple of Chinese brownwares in a non-descript antique store here in my city.  I knew they were exhibited in a group show a few months back because I recognized them quite easily.  I guess they were not fast movers as compared to modern reproductions and Ming Blue and White wares.  These were more humble in form but contemporary in bearing.  Having blue and whites are great, but they exude an atmosphere of past generations meaning it’s kind of old school and “la Buena familia”.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Ming blue and white export ware, except having so many would make your house look like an old spinster’s closet.  As for brown ware, these have a utilitarian appeal.  Monochromatic in palette, simple in design and yet collecting these would make any kitchen or sala (living or receiving room) look contemporary.  If you have an apartment, they would look stunning especially if you have a grouping of small pieces be they jarlets, bowls or kendis.  However, if you want a more sophisticated but muted effect, I would suggest you delve into Celadon wares.

 I worked out a deal with the owner and after receiving discounts I was able to take home these two items.  The jar in question is small brown-glazed artifact, with a rounded rim, with four lugs on the jar’s shoulder.  The body is of course grey stoneware and the bottom is flat and unglazed.   It came from Southern China, probably Guangdong region during the Ming dynasty.  A lot of similar jars were manufactured from that area.  

The second is a brown-glazed covered box which, according to Locsin*, “has decorative patterns traced out with raised lines within an unglazed circular area on the cover.”  He added, “The effect was probably achieved by pressing a mold onto the unfired body.  The bodies are a coarse, buff-colored material.  Decorative motifs vary- phoenix, peony, horse chestnut, chrysanthemum, or geometric patterns.”  It’s nicely done even though there’s a roughness to it.  There’s a chip on the lower lip so I got a big discount.

  

Upon arriving home, I opened my platera of ceramics and placed these two special items onto their permanent positions.  And felt that all is well with the world.

* Leandro V. Locsin, Cecilia Y. Locsin. Oriental Ceramics Discovered in the Philippines. Charles E. Tuttle, 1967

Papel or Papeles Sellado

Old Tagalog as written by an "escribano" or scribe

Years before I caught on the "serious" collecting bug, I was collecting paper ephemera like papel sellado.  By serious, I meant collecting objects that moneyed collectors covet like santos figures and ceramics. Back then, I was eking out the life of the proletariat living from one paycheck to the next whereby my disposable income for such indulgences is limited by the price ceiling. I was a cheapskate scraping the crumbs of Ebay.ph. The only difference now is that I have a slightly bigger paycheck.

I was interested in anything Spanish colonial and papery. Papel sellado stood out as perfect collecting material.  And my goodness, the amount and quality being offered was spectacular- a lot were affordable and quite interesting.

I snapped up everything that I could lay my hands on (budget permitting), and soon I was able to amass two albums full of documents.  During that time, the supply was plenty and the demand weak. So I was happy.

A 1-page document for 1855.

My insights so far:

1.  During the Spanish rule, papel sellado was introduced as a means of increasing government revenue through taxation of official documents. It's like having a notary public, but in this case, if you want to make something official, you have to pay the government in order to document your claim.

2.  Papel sellado had a range of values- from the cheapest (pobres) to most expensive (ilustres)- meaning even the poor illiterate farmer can have his official document too.  And this face value is depicted in different allegorical illustrations and colors so as to differentiate the years they were published.  So a papel sellado done in 1887 would be different from 1888.

Pobres. The lowest value.

3.  In collecting them, the higher the face value means the higher is its catalog value. Perhaps it is because not a lot of ordinary people used them, so there were only a few pieces left. And only the rich like the friars could afford the high value ones. 

4.  Since the high value sellados were used by the educated and the rich, the language used was typically Castillan in flavor and the handwriting more refined.  The lower class values meanwhile were usually written in the vernacular. Remember that Tagalog was still a language limited to the environs of Manila (and not a national language), so sellados coming from Ilocos would have been written in Ilocano.

5.  Although collectors value the seal and the stamp more, the contents of the sellado, for me, has the greater appeal. If you love languages, you'll enjoy reading Old Tagalog with its use of c's instead of k's, the lyricism of the words. You shall discover also from these fine existing examples the evolution of the Filipino language and how much has changed in terms of orthography and grammar.

6.  They will make you appreciate our Spanish heritage more because through this you will discover the lives, the trade-goods, the geography of a people long gone.  And reading the 1st hand narrative is the best.

The dry seal

For the past couple of years, the prices climbed steadily the rate of which is pretty alarming. Good luck to you if you can find one that costs less than P500. Most sellers already are quoting prices from the Lehmann Catalog thereby jacking up the cost.  I find this quite horrendous.  Why?

1. Even though I find the reference extremely important in cataloging extant Philippine papel sellados, I find it disturbing that local and foreign dealers quickly quote the catalog prices as bible truths as if the prices were dictated by the "National Committee on the Collection of Papel Sellado."  Before, a 2-page 1-stamp papel sellado from 1880s would have a selling range between P300-500. Now, dealers would quote a similar item at a slightly lesser price than the catalog value regardless of the state of its preservation (wormholed, torn, etc.)

Ex. "(L-619) Rare item catalog value of $75 but I'm selling it for $40 (P1700)"

2.  The catalog was written as a guide for collectors and not as a means for jacking up the prices.  Dealers pounced on this fact because there was no previous guide to speak of, and they thought, "Aha! I've been selling papel sellados so low, now that someone has published catalog values of my items, I'll just follow them and jack up my prices."   It's frustrating for the collector because the increase in the prices are not based on market forces but rather solely on the "expert" opinion of one who has published the pioneering monograph. It's frustrating really.

Ex. One Ebay.ph seller has a penchant for quoting the Lehmann catalog per page, meaning if your document has four pages, expect the price to increase exponentially.

Until that time when demand will snowball to a point when collectors will buy even at catalog prices, only then they shall have that moral ascendancy to do so because right now, they all look like money-grubbing ignoramuses.  Imagine selling a worm-holed and stained document at catalog price.  It's ridiculous. Anyhow,  with the current demand limited to a handful of knowledgeable collectors, having such prices soaring through my budgetary roof is really a huge turn off.

It has nearly been a decade since the first catalog was published online.  We'll just have to wait and pounce on those with better prices and reject those sellers who think that having an obscure Spanish document is as valuable as having the map to the Yamashita treasure.

my mini-collection

Just in case you missed the link for the Lehmann Catalog: www.theipps.info/bibliography/Papeles_Catalog.pdf

Sell Your Wares @ Harringtons Lifestyle Auction

For those collectors who would like to dispose their ceramics, paintings, sculptures, furniture, collectibles, but do not know where, Harringtons may provide you with that venue.  They're inviting consignors for their next auction. At least here, no dealer will give you his rock bottom buyer's price and no seller will bite the bullet just to sell his/her collection.

Inviting consignors for the 2nd HARRINGTONS LIFESTYLE AUCTION to be held at Rockwell Tent, Makati City on July 26, 2014.

Please call 5486900 local 6906, 6962 or 6936 for more details.

News: Manila’s Antique Shops Seek Past Glory

They used to be among Manila’s top attractions, but antique and arts shops especially in the Malate and Ermita districts had lost much of their charm through the years, with the last few holdouts yearning  for the good old days of selling old stuff.

Wilfred delos Reyes of Gallery Deus, which sells religious antiques and tribal artworks on Padre Faura Street, recalled how business was so brisk especially in the 1980s despite the stiff competition among the shops.

Back then, “almost a hundred percent of the shops on Mabini Street were into antiques,” Delos Reyes said. “Now there are less than 10 left.”

His own gallery, for example, could make around P1.2 million in just two days during that period, “but today it is hard for us to earn even P100,000 a month.”

Many shops started relocating to other cities like Pasay and Makati in the late ’90s, when rent got more and more expensive in Manila, pedestrian-friendly streets gave way to squalor, and crimes went on the rise..... (click link to continue reading)

READ:  Manila’s antique shops seek old glory through urban renewal

One has to read in between the lines to note that the dwindling supply and the deterioration of the area contributed to the disappearance of the antique trade in Ermita.  Is it just a matter of time?

Santos Series 02: San Miguel

Last week, I chanced upon my in dealer's shop here in the Philippine city of Puerto Buenvivir, in the province of  Montemayor (of course, pseudonyms lang tayo dito) a nice vintage santo.  Immediately I knew it was a San Miguel. I salivated and my dealer saw it and damn, I could only nudge the price 10% cheaper.  I was thinking that such a choice piece will fly off the shelf as soon as another collector comes in. In fact, a buena familia customer who was inside the shop was eyeing this piece too. Before she swooped down and bought the antique, I immediately lifted it and took my sweet time in examining it (until the lady left the premises of course).  My dealer told me that this particular piece arrived just today and the only persons who have seen this was me and the lady.  She added that the item came from Bantayan island but carved in Bohol or vice versa.  I was skeptical and barely managed to keep my eyeballs from rolling. Provenance be damned.

St. Michael (San Miguel) is for me one of the more desirable type of santos there is, for two simple reasons: (1) it's rare to find a table top statue and (2) the ensemble of an angel killing a crouched demon is powerful and beautiful.  Imagine a supernatural diety killing a demon! It evokes the mystical feel in our Catholic faith of good triumphing over evil.  This same feeling goes for the Immaculate Conception with Mary trampling a snake.

There are a few depictions of St. Michael as a table top set. It may be because not a lot of families wanted to have an object with a crouched devil inside their homes. (Thanks to Alex Castro for the insight.) If indeed they are available, either they are modern fakes done in plaster or are large figures destined for church niches. And if they're really tabletop antiques, they must have been bought by wealthy Buena Familias. 

It takes a lot of luck and serendipity to stumble upon a piece.  This is why even if the patina of my item does not hark to the Spanish times, I suspect this is more than 50 years old.  I think this was made between the late 19th century and before the 60s.  The enamel pain is highly suspect, but the fact that the entire thing was carved out from wood with the white chalky gesso or escayola exposed means that this was made during the time when there were a lot of santeros around. Thus, I place this during the American period and the decade after the war.

It may not be really a great antique, but this San Miguel pleases me to no end. Because, in the end, you as a collector must derive pleasure in your purchases and not on the potential financial gain.

Book 04: Chinese Pottery In the Philippines

A lot of collectors of ceramics eschew buying from Ebay because of the high incidence of fraud and forgery.  However, the site can still be a goldmine when it comes to vintage ceramic literature.  A lot of "Out-of-Print" volumes on Oriental ceramics are still available but prices can be expensive. One such book is Spink's Thai Ceramics published by the Siam Society during the 60s which is reasonably priced on Amazon and purchasing one is a good investment move. Any ceramic book for that matter is ipso facto a wise decision. You get to learn the forms, the motifs, the glazes from these books which will give you an added arsenal against fakes and repairs.

Sometimes, a diamond of a book will slip through the cracks.  In this case, I was able to purchase the original volume of Fay-Cooper Cole's "Chinese Pottery in the Philippines" (Field Museum of Natural History, Publication 162, July 1912) for $10. The condition of the publication is remarkable; actually in mint condition.

 
The contents of which is very telling about the colonial (read: American) state of affairs when it came to archaeology, anthropology and collecting.  These Americans had a field day going around the archipelago sourcing ceramics from accidentally discovered burial sites to ceramic jars used by the highland tribes for their ceremonies.  Not so much about the feeding frenzy of the 60s.  This period was so nebulous that if it were not for these intrepid Americans, our view on history would be stuck in Hispanic mud.  

Anyway, this tome is a keeper for all collectors delving into Philippine trade ceramics.  If you can find one, don't let it get away.

I'm sure now all has been looted already.

Download PDF file for easy reading:

https://archive.org/details/cu31924023483559
http://www.jstor.org/stable/29782136

Some Thoughts on Ming? Celadon Wares

Bowl 1.

Bowl 1. Notice the flower motif on the base.

Bowl 1. The mark where the clay disk was placed is still visible. This is to stack the bowl on top of the next.

 These three grey-green and bluish green celadons were collected in separate instances. In each instance, I had to insist of getting the piece that has no damage or repair.  Too much previous tuition fees have forced me to be more stringent in my pickings.

I love looking at these three celadons especially when they're all in a row. They look modern in their simplicity but their greenness exude a certain "restrained" elegance.  The feel of the glaze is unctuous, the craqleur nice and spontaneous and the historicity of the item makes me giddy.  Speaking of historicity, picking up, holding it and feeling every smooth texture and earthy roughness makes me think of the tedious and ingenious process the Chinese did in making Celadon and the specialness of the Philippines as  a rich (and reasonably cheap) repository of burial ceramics. 

 

Bowl 2. Smallest of the lot. Notice the irregular glaze.

Bowl 2.

Bowl 2.

  We know that Celadon wares, be it white, green or blue-green usually come from the Song Dynasty.  A lot of collectors and dealers clump them together into this period. I too have been careless in assuming that this was so but I realized that this is an entirely huge field spanning the Song to the Yuan to the middle Ming Dynasties, and encompassing Thailand during the Ming Gap period. And with the periods went the various types of motifs used.

Bowl 3.  Same clay disk mark

Bowl. 3

If you go to the Koh Antiques Site (see link column) you will find examples pertaining to the Northern and Southern Song dynasty Celadons. Most have incised lotus patterns on the sides. In the case of my bowls, the striated lines form the chrysanthemum motif which can be found in Ming dynasty Celadons. This might explain why one of these bowls was part of a cache of burial ceramics that included Ming blue & white plates. It's unlikely that a person's lifetime accumulation spans several centuries with Song and Ming artifacts mingling together in a single plot. So, I think these were from the same time frame. Unless... unless... this is not Ming but rather Thai Celadon.  One of the pieces found in the book Chinese Celadons showed a similar striated bowl coming from Sawankhalok, Thailand.  This is the reason we ought to research on our items. It's a good thing this entry was inside Locsin's Oriental Ceramics Discovered in the Philippines:

So it's positive to be Ming. Nevertheless, what is important is the NOW- how these pieces affect me in a very pleasurable and positive way. I hope your collection does that to you too. Happy Antiquing!