Local and Tradeware Jars

This week, the #MuseumFromHome highlights the local and tradeware jars in the National Ethnographic Collection of the #NationalMuseumPH. These jars form part of the ethnographic stoneware collection to be featured in the upcoming Elizabeth Y. Gokongwei Resource Center located at the 5F of the National Museum of Anthropology, in partnership with the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc.

Ceramic historians identify the provenance of tradeware jars by comparing the overall structure, the shape of the body, shade or color, inscriptions or marks, or the presence of patterns to similarly identified ceramics. Usually, a liquid mineral is used to coat the ceramics to decorate and seal the surface of the pottery. Known as glaze, this becomes glassy when heated and may be dipped in before firing or be painted or blown on a fine spray. When it comes to the shape, the rim structure varies, although most are out-curved and collared. The base and the foot rim, on the other hand, are generally rounded and may be deep or shallow depending on the height of the jar. 

Tradeware ceramics are generally more durable and non-porous, making it better storage vessels for liquids compared with locally produced wares. Over time, these become heirloom pieces, ritual items, payment for dowry, and settlement of fines or disputes. Chinese ceramics, known for their intricate designs such as dragons, were commonly traded in the country as early as the Tang Dynasty. The cobalt-colored ceramics, also known as the blue-and-white from the Qing Dynasty, were also popular in the region and beyond. Filipinos tried to replicate Chinese ceramics but were unsuccessful since clay in the country lacks the necessary components to achieve the same quality. 

A type of large storage jars produced exclusively in Lower Myanmar (Burma), called Martaban, were also shipped during the Song and Qing dynasties. Some were plain, others were decorated with flying dragons and small loop handles attached to the shoulder or close to the neck.  Similar jars recovered from the San Diego shipwreck were covered with a black glaze of uneven thickness and decorated with light-colored clay in low relief, either with stripes or rows of buttons resembling rivet heads. These were locally used in fermenting and storing salted fish that turn into bagoong (fish sauce). Another notable tradeware ceramic item is called Sawankhalok. These are from Thailand and produced during the Madjapahit Empire and characterized by underglaze black pieces which were finely potted and with comparatively thin walls. 

In Northern Luzon, the technology of burnay (jar) production was introduced by Chinese migrants from the late 18th to the 19th century in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. The burnay made by the Ilokanos are traditionally used as water and food containers. These types of round and wide-bodied stoneware jars with narrow mouths and flat bottoms thrived in the 19th century as they were suitable for processing sugarcane wine, vinegar, and other fermented condiments. While pottery production is traditionally performed by male artisans, the task of decorating the burnay with ears and cords was sometimes done by women in recent years. In 1990, Filipino-Chinese Fidel Go, the only remaining active artisan among the descendants of the earlier Chinese potters in Vigan City, was named a National Folk Artist by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for his invaluable contribution to the preservation of burnay tradition.

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#EYGResourceCenter

Text and Poster by the NMP Ethnology Division

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