Asian Influence on a Philippine Cup

A couple of years ago when I contracted the "collecting" fever, I got hold of several precolonial pottery that were on offer in a couple of antique shops.  I had to sift through what must have been fakes and restored items and thankfully, got hold of some that were choice pieces. That is, until several days later, I noted that one of the pieces had a restoration mark which I had initially missed.

This goblet or chofa or cup is one of those choice pieces I got. It's quite light, the potting quite thin and it has that iron oxidation on the clay.  This I think was sourced from one of the surrounding islands of my province that has been a rich source of precolonial pottery. No restoration so far.

This is the only precolonial object I have encountered that is in a goblet form.  Maybe funerary, maybe utilitarian, who knows what purpose this cup is for.  The strange thing about this is that the design is not indigenous to the islands. The motif could be either Ming or Vietnamese with the wide lotus petals on the neck.  If it were indigenous, it would sport linear or curvilinear or chevron designs instead, not stylized floral. Hence, this must have been created during the Age of Contact probably between 12th-15th century wherein Filipinos have a great deal of trade with China and Annam and Sukhothai.  Ceramic goods that were traded may have become the basis for the form and design of such antique.  Until then, more study should be made in this direction. And more publications should be read.

Clearly, it's too strange, too specialized, too anachronistic for this to be judged as a fake.

Similar types of precolonial pottery are seen in one of the volumes of Filipino Heritage.

Shards of Ming Dynasty Ceramics

These are some of my representative pieces that I've asked my runner to collect. Collectors CAN ask for a ridiculously low price for these loose chunks of ceramic history. Runners and dealers tend to value Ming shards more because they wanted these glued, restored, or recreated and they sell them for anything from a hundred to a couple of thousand pesos. Oftentimes, if the pieces are too broken up, these get to be left out and eventually ignored. For me, I share the same sentiments with those who create jewelry pendants out of these blue&white pieces, for these seemingly worthless objects can become informative and valuable.

Valuable in fact that in China (and on Ebay), real Ming dynasty shards (or sherds) are now being sold for a hefty sum.  Reason? You get to study the glaze, the potting, the design, the type of pigment used, etc. Aside from looking at photos inside ceramic catalogues, having the real physical object in your hand is double the learning process.  And with it, you get to have a sense of what is fake and what is not.  Even if it's not the whole piece, you get to know the feel and the glaze and differentiate if whether it's from an Imperial kiln of Jingdezhen or from an Export Zhangzhou kiln.

Isn't it a beauty to see the cross-section of a Ming dynasty charger? No need to break an expensive piece, just ask for a shard instead.

Sherds of Song Dynasty

These are a few of the Song or Sung Dynasty sherds that I've collected these couple of years.  I'm saving these for some architectural project in the far far future. From Lonquan celadons, to bluish Northern Song and to brownish Southern Song, these shards represent actually the variety of ceramics that's buried underneath the Philippine soil.  Collecting these are more for personal enjoyment knowing that long ago, these were used by precolonial Filipinos.  In these you tend to appreciate the potting, the glaze, the cracleur and the art of Chinese ceramics.

A Guangdong Brownware Jar with Dragons

This small brownware jar is part of the lot I bought along with the Ming chicken water dropper.  This kind of jar is quite strange because of its size. It's approximately ~15-20cm and looks like a small earthenware vase.  It has four pressed lugs with one lug chipped off. It has this brown glaze with signs of glaze degradation.

 There are two stylized dragons adorning the body and around it are incised wave-like pattern. Dragons are more predominant during the Ming era as opposed to the unadorned Song dynasty vessels which concur the age of this item.  Thus, looking at the motif and the make, I would say this small jar is from the Guangdong area of Southern China during the Ming dynasty.

It is similar to the one published by Cynthia Valdez in her seminal book: A Thousand Years of Stoneware Jars.

It does look nice when it sits on top of your table or desk, doesn't it?

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?

A Ming Chicken Water Dropper

As per previous entry, the same seller brought out this wonderful, perfect (no chips nor hairline cracks) chicken water dropper. This item presumably came from the same burial site in that out-of-the-way island here in the Philippines. 

From the shape, the color, the luster of its glaze and the overall appearance, this chicken water dropper must be from the late Ming period.  Yes, it’s indeed Min Yao (People’s Ware) but its rarity and condition makes this item truly a collector’s piece. 

Other similar examples have been published in past catalogues while those at the online market like Trocadero have already been snapped up. One was selling this for $450.  Fortunately, I got this with the entire lot of diggings and my seller was already desperate in unloading her items (since she has to take the bus to her barrio).  I had to offer her something even if I was not in the itchy mood to acquire another ceramic piece.  In the end, I am glad I got her lot.  

From The Williams Collection of East Asian Ceramics Catalogue, Detroit Institute of Arts:

Antiquing. More Fun In The Philippines.  

Offers are welcome via email.

An Early Ming Charger

I simply love it when innocent diggers unearth treasures in their farm plot.  This early Ming Minyao charger (as seen in the spontaneous yet simple design) is my baby. My perfect charger is about 10inches in diameter (guesstimate) is free from any cracks, chips and restoration.  It's Swatow / Zhangzhou ware as typified by the grits at the bottom of the rim, and the design is Ming.   I do hope there are more finds underneath the Philippine soil. Price? Let's just say it's cheap considering the overall state of the item.

You can find some similar items here: Zhangzhou Ware Found in the Philippines

Would I sell it? I may, depends on the offer. Leave a comment and we'll see.

A Dragon Earthenware Jar

 A year ago, my dealer/runner had lots of contacts who wanted to sell their ceramic finds. I wanted to get them all considering the quick rate of turnovers in this field.  Unfortunately I hadn't got the cash to buy the lot.  So I had a down-payment done and got this jar as partial purchase with the promise that I shall complete the deal in a few days time.  Due to the fact that I had bitten off more than what I could chew, the deal collapsed and the rest of the lot was sold to other collectors.  All I got was this.  I paid I think $150 for the dragon jar which I find a bit steep which I shall later divulge.

 This jar I believe is an earthenware jar made during the Age of Contact between China and Southeast Asia right about 9th to 15th century.  Others would classify this as Martabana or Martaban jar which I feel may not have been brought over from Martaban, Burma. Most of the small decorated jars dug up in the Philippines were brought over from Fujian in Southern China.  More similar jars can be found in Valdez's A Thousand Years of Stoneware Jars.

The jar, measuring about 18 inches has a smooth brown glaze that extended on almost all of the base area.  The body has a dragon design and several clouds at the periphery. There are 4 lugs on the neck. One was missing and was poorly restored.  The base has a prominent potter's wheel mark. 

Taking into account the form, the glaze and the overall structure, once can bravely put this as during the Ming Dynasty or even during the subsequent Interregnum. Song dynasty jars are usually plain and spartan in design whereas monochrome Ming jars are decorated usually with dragons.  Although there are no cracks, more major repairs, I still feel that I could have gotten it at a lower price considering the restored lug.  As they say, "caveat emptor".

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!