Raw and Process of Indigenous Pottery/Ceramics

Now, From Region 2 – Cagayan Valley is the…

Madweng Pottery
the pottery tradition in Santa Maria, Isabela was primarily introduced by the Kalingas.
Their ancestors taught the same process and style of forming the dweng or the earthen ware
which they learned from the Kalingas.
The dweng products of Sta. Maria, Isabela does not happen in a single hour or day. Ito ay
nangangailangan ng maraming phases and techniques upang matiyak ang kalidad nito
pagkatapos gamitin. Nabuo ito gamit ang mga indigenous equipment and technology, pati na rin
yung mga dating proseso na direktang binago ng mga Madweng.

Next,
Bagupantao pottery complex naman in Region 5…
It is Often classified with the Kalanay complex as 17 of its vessels were unearthed (or dig up) at
the Kalanay cave site
Generally have superior quality, material, and artistry. And the incisions of the pottery are rare.
Karamihan ng bagupantao pots’ paste is red brown ang kulay, with gray or black as the
minority. Yung karaniwang forms ng mga pots are jars with wide to narrow mouths at talagang
malalaki siya like yung body diameter ay nasa 24 to 35 cm.
Ang pagkakaiba ng bagupantao sa Kalanay pots ay yung Evenness of color and cleanness of clay

Here in Region 7 is the…

Asin pottery complex
Distinguished as freehand-painted patterns which include horizontal series or curvilinear scrolls.
Found in the Asin Cave sites in Davao del Sur.
The vessel form of this pottery are lids rather than bowls. Yung vessel ay pinatuyo lang sa araw.
And dahil wala pang kiln dati, the firing usually took place sa mga open fire. The incisions in
making asin pottery are rare.
Meron din sa region 6, which is the
BARI POTTERY
Very traditional ang paggawa ng Bari pot. Yung raw material na gamit nila ay clay na galling
mismo sa lugar nila which is sa field near the Sibalom River.
There are 2 process in making Bari Pot.
First is the paghurma or the molding process- bali yung clay ay nakalagay na sa wooden paddle
or also known as the “potter’s wheel” bali yung paddle ay may two handles both sides para
makuha yung desired shape. Maingat ang pagpaddle ng mga gumagawa nito, they use a piece
of cloth which they called “diririt” and a special stone called “tulya” from bato batiling. It is used
to polish the outer part of the ware to achieve the final texture of Kuron or clay pot. The finish
product will sit for at least 5 days to dry.
Then after that they proceed to Pagpagba or the firing process. Bali ito na yung last process sa
paggawa ng bari pot. So ayun nga, after matuyo ng mga ginawang paso, pwede na ito dumaan
sa firing process. Crucial part ng process itong firing, bali the firing takes only about one hour or
to para ma-cook na yung mga paso. Gumagamit sila ng dagami (dried rice hay), ramay (dried
banana leaves), tuod (bamboo trunks) and dried woods. The changes of color occur in the firing
turning the color into red. Firing completes the process of the Bari pot making.

Lastly from Mimaropa

Tabon pottery complex
The pottery was formed by freehand modeling being worked initially by hand and then with a
paddle-and-anvil. There is no clear evidence sa paggamit dito ng slow wheel or tournette despite
the fact na karamihan sa vessels ay almost perfectly symmetrical na. . The interior of vessels
frequently show the impression of an anvil, as well as marks made by the knuckles and the palm
of the hand. Paddle marks may also be seen on the exterior surfaces of larger vessels, such as
jars.
So in the figure shown, it is a Tabon Incised and Painted: a shallow bowl with four holes near
Vessel Forms

Next, so here the sample characteristic vessel forms of the Tabon Pottery Complex
Now, I will introduce the pottery/ceramics artists in the Philippine and their works.
Karamihan sa mga potters na famous in this field ay galling sa region iv a or sa calabarzon
First is…
1. Tessie San Juan and Jon Pettyjohn of (REGION IV-A – CALABARZON)

Jon Pettyjohn, together with his wife Tessy, are recognized as a pioneer of modern Philippine
ceramics. He has worked actively in the field of high fire Asian style ceramics for the last 38
years. Although mostly functional angworks niya, minsan nage-explore rin sa in the limits
between the utilitarian and the sculptural. (both of which he believes are equally important) They
are based in Calamba, Laguna. (They said, A conversation with Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn makes
you see pottery in a different light. Having seen its evolution, Nakita nila kung paano nagbago
ang mga trends, kung paano nagsisiskap yung mga older generation para makasunod sa mga uso
and what has remained constant in this form of art.) Jon explores the increasing
nuances/gestures/precisions that underlie the biological process of high -fired ceramic pottery;
Tess addresses how Philippine cultural work in general has yet to be acknowledged by
successive governments, including the present one.
Next slide
Some of their works are:
“Bamboo Brushwork Platter” by Jon Pettyjohn
Coral covered jar by Tessy Pettyjohn
“Tenmoku Mugs” by Jon Pettyjohn

2. Lanelle-Abueva Fernando ((REGION IV-A – CALABARZON)

LANELLE ABUEVA-FERNANDO , a Filipino potter based in Antipolo City, Philippines, who
specializes in functional, handmade stoneware ceramics. She currently produces stoneware
ceramics for hotels, restaurants, and companies, both local and overseas. She has also had
numerous solo and group exhibits. (Lanelle crafted the mugs in her Antipolo studio. According
to her, “lahat ng stoneware ceramics ay handmade and hand-glazed, and walang pieces ang
talagang magkatulad)

Her current rustic but refined style has been shaped by the mix of cultures she’s worked with. (as
well as her personal experiences and the people she’s met along the way.)

(After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, Lanelle also started to incorporate volcanic ash
glaze into her pieces. It’s a technique she learned from her apprenticeship in Hachijojima, a
volcanic island itself.)

Artworks:

Alaala ni Nanay

Rainbow Vase (2002)

Cylindrical Stoneware Vases

3. Ugu Bigyan – (REGION IV- A – CALABARZON)

Ugu (August) Bigyan is a world famous potter-chef who lives and creates at his potter's garden
nestled in Tiaong Laguna. His crafts include leaves, animals, birds and fishes, pots,
earthenwares, kitchenwares, souvenir items among others. (He’s doing this since he was at 20s.
And each years of his craftmanship adding also to his legacy in this kind of art.) Each and every
masterpiece, whether small or big, are handmade and hand painted individually.
(Ugu gets inspiration from the earth, from nature.) The potter’s medium is clay –the raw
material for his terra cotta bricks, chimes, vases, wall decors, ceramics and various works of
arts.

Artwork
Eto yung ilan sa clay sculptures niya… a tea cup, wind chimes and yung kumuha talaga ng
attention ko ay ang kaniyang water fountain . I believe the idea behind it ay yung tubig from the
top ay dahan-dahang dumadaloy doon sa mga thread kung saan nakakabit yung mga clay
sculptures until it drips down at the bottom. So, All these are food for his art. He takes in
nature and exhales nature-inspired art pieces na makikita sa mga souvenir shops and sa mga
rooms ng mga expensive resorts at sa bahay ng mga ibang tao na kayang bilhin yung mga
pieces niya, so mostly pricey talaga yung mga works niya.

4. Jaime De Guzman- (REGION IV-A – CALABARZON)

Jaime De Guzman is a painter and potter whose work had a huge impact on the art scene of the
70s. (Pero mas kilala siya as a painter but after he met his wife anne, who is a potter, don siya
nagsimula na matuto at maipakita yung creativity niya sa pottery)
His break from painting and foray into pottery is well-represented; He has works such as
unnamed ewers, pots and jars inspired by the stoneware of the North.
By the 1980s, they produced high-fire output, inclusive of raku and celadon, as a thriving
cottage industry billed as Mount Banahaw Pottery

Eto yung ilan sa mga ceramic works niya…but then in the late 1980s, bumalik din siya sa
pagpipinta.

5. Nelfa Querubin – (REGION VI – WESTERN VISAYAS)

Nelfa Querubin, born in Concepcion, Iloilo and who now lives in Colorado, USA, has brought to fruition
her creativity. Querubin was well into making a mark as a painter and printmaker in Manila when
she discovered the medium of clay. (Despite her early success in printmaking) Querubin was
more captivated by creating ceramic art pieces. (It was during the 70s when she focused on
making clay artworks)( Completely fascinated with its possibilities and challenges, she all at
once opted to begin anew as one of the pioneering hands of studio pottery in the country.) It is in
her clay works that Nelfa integrates and synthesizes her art and life experience. (She molds her pieces
using a self-constructed kiln, forming the clay on top of a low fire to create a more strong and
sturdy ceramic sculpture.

Setting up a studio/workshop and using whatever materials and resources were at hand, she
persistently worked with clay to fully develop her skills and technology.)

Artworks:
Over the years, she has produced an impressive collection of functional and sculptural pottery whose
organic shapes, colors and textures faintly mirror the seashells, rocks, driftwood and ripe tropical fruit
that abound in her idyllic studio setting.

- Holding Together

- Permanent Flow

- Teapots

6. Fidel Go – (REGION I – ILOCOS REGION)

Go carries the Burnayan business of his family, the Ruby Pottery Shop. (Fidel said na ang Ruby
Pottery Shop ay nagsimula noong year 1920 by his father then kalaunan ay bumalik ang
karamihan sa pamilya nila sa China hanggang sa siya na lang ang natira sa Pilipinas.)
His Chinese descendants were the first ones to establish the industry of clay jar pottery in
town, thus its village name, Pagburnayan.

He was named as National Folk Artist by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
in 1990. (He is Vigan’s Pride, which is di na nakakagulat since he is really talented pagdating sa
paggawa ng mga traditional burnay jars in different shapes, sizes and designs.)

These are some of the samples of Fidel Go’s Burnay jars..

One of the crafts Vigan is noted for is pottery using the high-quality local clay to create what are
known as burnay jars hand-formed on a potter’s wheel and unglazed. The materials for burnay jars
only consists of clay, water, and sand. Its process starts with kneading of clay to warm it up
and remove sharp objects that may ruin the clay.
Let’s proceed in the Materials used for Pottery/Ceramics

Before discussing the materials, here are the…

Types of Pottery/Ceramics
- Earthenware
- Stoneware
- Porcelainware

Earthenware
Philippine ceramics are mostly earthenware, one of the oldest materials used in pottery.
Earthenwares is a ceramics that have not been heated to the degree of vitrification. (or yung
glazing, like need pa na i-heat ang ceramics to high temperature para yung ceramics ay maging
glass na, and sa earthenware ceramics sabi nga, di siya umabot sa gaanong temperature)
Earthenware ay karaniwang ginagamit for pottery tableware and decorative objects. The clay is
fired at relatively low temperature (1,000-1150 degree Celsius), producing a slightly porous,
coarse product. (pourous means parang buhaghag siya so yung product may mga onting butas
butas pa ganon)
Stoneware
Clay is fired ate a high temperature (about 1200 degree celcius) hanggang sa maging glass. Dahil
non-porous ang stoneware, ang glaze ay naa-apply lang sa decoration. Stoneware is a sturdy
chip-resistant and durable material suitable for use in kitchen for cooking, baking, storing liqids
and as serving dishes.
Porcelain
Porcelain comes from a refined clay which is heate at very high temperatures of approximately
1,200–1,450°C. Yung result nito ay magiging sobrang hard at shiny na ceramics, madalas white
tapos translucent yung hitsura niya. Usually for decorative glazes.
To make porcelain, small amounts of glass, granite and feldspar mineral are ground up with fine
white kaolin clay.
And now, the materials used in pottery. First is the most common material, which is the clay. So
napaka essential niya sa pottery since eto yung basic materials nito. May tatlong basic types of
clay na ginagamit para sa pottery.
Red clay, Fine clay, and the kaolin clay
Yung red clay, ay ginagamit siya sa earthenware which is siyempre need pa siya I heat in a low
temp para makagawa ng earthenaware ceramics. Ideal ang red clay sa paggawa ng earthenware
ceramics kasi mabilis itong matunaw kahit sa low temperature lang.
Fine clay naman ang ginagamit sa stoneware. So dito naman medyo mataas na yung temperature
na need para makuha yung ideal product which is ang stoneware. Fine clay ang gamit since itong
clay ay good for making a stoneware, and alam naman natin na non-porous ito at iyon ang need
sa stoneware. Di pwedeng may mga onting spaces or holes pa na matitira kapag yung clay ay
nai-heat na.
Next is Kaolin clay, ito naman ay ginagamit sa porcelain. So nagagawa ang porcelain with the
used of a mixture of kaolin and feldspar. Madalas ang porcelain ay white in appearance at iyon
ay dahil sa kaolin clay. Kaolin clay is ideal to used in making porcelain dahil kapag ito ay na-
heat into a very high temperature, ang pagkasunog nito ay puti pa rin. At ayun ang desired result
for porcelain. White and shiny in appearance.

Eto naman yung ibang materials na minimix kasama ang clay. The first one is ang shales. Bali
ito ay kasamang imix sa red clay para makapag produce ng earthenware ceramics. Siyempre
hindi basta basta na yung buong shale ang ihahalo, need na ito ay fine shales. A shale contains
limestones which is ideal foe making a cement. That’s why if red clay and shales are heated in a
desired low temperature, you can get your desired earthenware ceramics.
So same sa shales, ang feldspar ay kasama sa im-mix sa kaolin clay. Itong feldspar kasi nags-
serve siya as fluxing agents para makabuo ng glassy phase which is needed in making a
porcelain. Nakakatulong din to… to improve the strength, toughness and durability of a
ceramics.
And the last one is the silica. Silica is an essential material in making a ceramic, dahil ang
paggamit nito para pagsamahin ang ceramic substrate ay nakakatulong na ma-iprove yung
compactness, toughness and yung smoothness ng substrate. At dahil ang silica ay may proeties of
high melting point, it greatly reduces the sintering temperature in making a ceramic.