Pottery Art of the Philippines

potteries vigan

traditional pot-making in areas of philippines use clay found near sibalom river. molding clay required use of wooden paddles, , clay had kept away sunlight.

native filipinos created pottery since 3500 years ago. used these ceramic jars hold deceased.

other pottery used hold remains of deceased decorated anthropomorphic designs. these anthropomorphic earthenware pots date 5 bc. - 225 a.d , had pot covers shaped human heads.

filipino pottery had other uses well. during neolithic period of philippines, pottery made water vessels, plates, cups, , many other uses.

kalinga pottery

ceramic vessels of kalinga divided 3 types: rice cooking (ittoyom), vegetable/meat cooking (oppaya), , water storage (immosso) pots. according skibo, rice cooking pots larger, thinner , have smaller opening vegetable/meat pots. on other hand, water storage pots have average , uniform size , smaller neck size.

except water storage pots, have uniform size, other 2 kinds can come in 3 different sizes, large, medium , small. although true in cases, larger type of vegetable/meat pot , smaller water storage pot exists.

• manufacture of kalinga potteries

igorot (1910) 

the first step in manufacture of pots acquisition of starting material, clay. clay pounded, added enough amount of water, reach wanted flexibility, , placed in rotating plate. using hand-modeling , coil-and-scrape techniques, height, thickness , shape of pot established. after this, rim designed placing wet rag on top of , rotating in other direction. furthermore, scraping of walls can done if walls produced thick.

the pot, after modeling stage, dried short period of time before base shaped. also, after additional heating, small amounts of clay added inside , outside clay maintain evenness of surface. polishing step can done through use of polishing stone. in cases, pots painted red hematite paint stylized design.

pottery functions

pots ceramic vessels made molding clay wanted shape , leaving in environment elevated temperature thereby making solid , sturdy. recognized 1 of better tools humans invented since managed store surplus of food neolithic humans gathered.

in book pottery function: use-alteration perspective, author, james skibo, reasoned out why use of pots far more advantageous baskets , other organic containers. said since potteries commonly made in clay, heat has little none effect on container, , contents, , protects food moisture , pests. furthermore, range of storable contents far wider baskets , animal skins since can store both liquid , dry goods.

also, rice, in book pottery analysis, classified ceramic vessels 17 categories depending on various factors concern use , production of tool. 1 of these content wherein further divided type of pot 4 depending on state (liquid or solid) , temperature (hot or cold) of food inside it. said ceramic has 3 main uses. these 3 storage, processing, , transfer.

based these 3 uses rice gave, skibo further characterized usage of ceramic vessels dividing tool’s function two, (1) intended use , (2) actual use.

intended use, name implies, how tool’s supposed used. basis of manufacture of ceramic vessel since form follows function. on other hand, actual use how tool used. disregards pot’s form long can specific function.

kalinga pottery , uses

in kalinga, ceramic vessels can used 2 situations: daily life use , ceremonial use. daily life uses include making of rice pots , transfer of water nearby water bodies homes.

• determining actual function of kalinga pots

as said, pottery has different actual use intended use. reason why when archaeologists study function of pottery, tend focus on how tool used. studying alterations pottery has. these alterations, accretion , attrition, commonly abrasions , scratches on vessel. in skibo’s study of kalinga potteries functions, relied on 3 main tests, namely (1) dissolved residue, (2) surface attrition , (3) carbon deposition.

iron age pottery

there 3 major complexes in philippine iron age according solheim, kalanay, novaliches , bau pottery complexes. kalanay pottery complex pertains beyer’s iron age pottery of visayan islands found in negros , mindoro; novaliches pottery complex beyer’s iron age pottery rizal province. bau pottery, on other hand, not fit 2 previous complexes , correspond instead late iron age pottery.

kalanay pottery complex

the type site of kalanay pottery complex kalanay cave found in masbate. site, pottery further subdivided pottery types kalanay , bagupantao.

specific varieties of decoration follows:

paired diagonals , borders, variations including single diagonals or verticals , borders, or wavy lines , borders
curvilinear scrolls , triangles
rectangular scroll
triangles, variations including alternating triangles , borders or running triangles
rectangles , diagonals
zoomorphs
punctate fieldwhere areas bonded incised lines emphasized punctuations or dashes
diagonals without borders, including band of horizontal v’s , alternating diagonals off center line
impressed crenelations
impressed or carved scallop design
impressed tool
carved cutouts in ring stands

kalanay complex pottery can divided 16 groups according solheim.

bau pottery complex

it has less variation in both form , decoration compared kalanay pottery complex.

specific varieties of decoration follows:

paddle impressed
tool impressed, including simple-tool , compound-tool impressed
stamp impressed
applique ribbons of clay

in terms of forms:

small jars everted rims
small jars without everted rim
small heavy jars flat bottom
cups ring feet
jars ring feet

novaliches pottery complex

most of novaliches pottery can distinguished bau pottery , kalanay pottery. while shares form , decoration kalanay pottery, contains more variability compared bau pottery. according solheim (2002), “it sophisticated pottery has yet been found in philippines”

novaliches pottery can diagnosed form being shallow bowl high right-foot. shallow bowl plain feet highly decorated. majority of novaliches pottery polished. form symmetrical looks if made in potter wheel, however, examinations showed wasn’t.

specific varieties of decoration follows:

cutouts
narrow vertical elements; carved, tool impressed, or running impressed lines
horizontal , diagonal elements, including simple tool impressions, compound tool impressions , carved elements
horizontal broadline impressed lines

vessel forms follows:

shallow bowls high ring stands
shallow bowls low-ring stands
jars low-ring stands
angle jars
jars short necks , everted rims

kalanay cave site

the kalanay cave site small burial cave. located @ northwest coast of masbate.

• kalanay pottery

kalanay plain
majority (80 per cent) of excavated vessels.
variations in size , shape
technique used in manufacture: paddle-and-anvil technique
differences in base of vessels (some have rounded bottom while use ring foot or tetrapod support).
large observable differences in color associated inability of potter control fire, causing uneven distribution of heat.

• kalanay incised

incised around neck, rim of jar or outside of bowl in band of repeating elements
little care given jars appear poorly made despite thought out designs. can attributed possibility tradition of pot no longer significant manufacturer
kalanay-impressed: simple tool , simple , compound tool
simple tool impressing found around jar or bowl flange

• kalanay slipped

forms: jars, large wide mouth , everted rim, or small everted rim; bowls, deep inslanting sides, or shallow turned out lip
some polished, not.

bagupantao pottery

• bagupantao plain

majority of pots’ paste red-brown in color, gray or black minority. texture ranges fine medium , thickness 5–8 mm in length. common forms of pots jars wide narrow mouths , large (a body diameter of 24 35 cm).
difference between kalanay plain: evenness of color , cleanness of clay

• bagupantao impressed

the type of paste same bagupantao plain, red-brown in color. highly decorated on rim circles, punctuations , crenellations.
larger (28 –31 cm body diameter) , thicker (9-14 thickness) bagupantao plain.

• bagupantao painted

the paste used same bagupantao impressed , plain covered heavy red hematite slip inside , outside of neck.
thinner (2–7 mm) , smaller bagupantao plain.

• extraneous pottery - 3 vessels did not belong bagupantao , kalanay style found.

first pot

similar clay used bagupantao , kalanay vessels. color, red-brown, same, inside , out.
ornamented small crystals on paste , black flakes on surface.
as thin (3–8 mm) bagupantao painted vessel.

second pot

same size , structure bagupantao pots.
used different paste (fibrous texture , contained mineral inclusions)
heavily polished , surface color ranges red-brown light gray.
as thick bagupantao plain jars (5–12 mm).

third pot

the paste used chocolate-brown in color , texture fine.
it thick (15–20 mm) when compared other pots.
poorly made because of uneven distribution of heat pot (pieces break longitudinally).




^ de la salle university : university library : philippine pottery . dlsu.edu.ph. archived original on 2012-11-20. retrieved 2013-08-01. 
^ anthropomorphic pots : metal age : ayub cave, saranggani province . nationalmuseum.gov.ph. retrieved 22 february 2015. 
^ metropolitan museum of manila, philippines: art . metmuseum.ph. 2012-09-01. retrieved 2013-08-01. 
^ skibo, j. (1992). pottery function: use-alteration perspective. new york: plenum press. 
^ solheim, william (2002). archaeology of central philippines: study chiefly of iron age , relationships. manila: bureau of print.