...and soon it will find its way to the island-province where it was discovered
For this week’s #TrowelTuesday, the #NationalMuseumPH is featuring one of its National Cultural Treasures (NCT), the Marinduque Celadon Jar.
The Marinduque Celadon Jar is a distinctive stoneware dated
to 1279 to 1368 Common Era (CE), originating from the Yuan Dynasty China. It
was purchased by Alfredo Evangelista, then assistant director of the National
Museum of the Philippines (NMP), in Marinduque in 1965. The celadon jar, with
accession number 65-B-5, features a translucent jade-like green glaze
application almost throughout its body, decorated with four Chinese dragons in
embossed reliefs – a symbol of imperial power, strength, and good fortune in
East Asian culture. The artifact’s form is characterized with an everted rim,
short-waisted neck, edged shoulder with four vertical lugs, broad body, narrow
bottom, and flat foot. It measures 31.2 cm in height and 18.5 cm in maximum
body width.
Celadon, or greenware, is a kind of stoneware ceramic with bluish-green or grey-green glaze fired between 1200 °C and 1350 °C. The etymology of the word “celadon” and how it got its ceramic-related signification remains inconclusive in the historical records. However, there was a consistent utilization of the term to refer to muted greyish-green color during the 19th century. In China, celadon is called Qing Ci (青瓷), which translates to “green porcelain”, hence greenware.
While the oldest archaeological evidences of celadon
artifacts were excavated from middle Shang period (circa 1400–1250 Before
Common Era or BCE) sites in China, the production of this object type was also
spread to other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Myanmar.
One of the earliest and most important production centers were the Longquan
kilns in Zhejiang province, China, where fine celadons was sourced for
exportation up until the Ming period. Along with other ceramics like
blue-and-white porcelain, celadons became a highly valued commodity before and
during the Age of Trade (16th to 19th century).
Celadon and other ceramic types have been found in several
land and underwater archaeological sites in the Philippines. Some of these
sites include the Pandanan Shipwreck in southern Palawan, Lena Shoal Shipwreck
in Busuanga Island in northern Palawan, Santa Cruz Shipwreck in northwest
Zambales, and Calatagan in Batangas. The discovery of these sites as well as
recovered artifacts provided substantial archaeological insights on the
country’s role in the regional maritime trade, and the locals’ lifeways,
particularly in the 15th century.
The detailed provenance (or history of ownership) of the Marinduque Celadon Jar is still subject to further research. Existing records, however, indicate that this object was bought by Evangelista in 1965, along with a Sawankhalok greenish-grey glazed plate, a ceramic ware produced by the Sukhothai kingdom of central Thailand in the 13th to 15th century. Four years prior to purchasing the jar, Evangelista conducted systematic excavations at Pilapil Cave in Marinduque, which yielded local artifacts and sherds associated to Song (960–1279 CE) and Yuan (1279–1368 CE) periods. The dragon motif of the Marinduque Celadon Jar suggests it is not an average object, but a unique marker of prestige; thus, making it an important and rare acquisition of the NMP.
As far as known, there are only two known existing celadon
jars of its sort. The other two are part of the collections of the British
Museum in London and of Dr. Arturo de Santos, a Filipino ceramic enthusiast in
the 1960s. Considering its rarity, craftsmanship, and historical and cultural
relevance, the Marinduque Celadon Jar was declared an NCT in 2010. It is
presently exhibited at Palayok: The Ceramic Heritage of the Philippines gallery
of the National Museum of Anthropology.
The extended Enhanced Community Quarantine has meant that you cannot visit yet the National Museum of Anthropology personally to see the Marinduque Celadon Jar along with other NCTs featured in several galleries within the NMP complex.
While waiting for the NMP to reopen, you may view the 360 virtual tour program by clicking on this link.
Text by Gregg Alfonso Abbang, photos by Randy Episcope, and
poster by Timothy James Vitales / NMP Archaeology Division
© National Museum of the Philippines (2021)
