Artifacts of San Isidro Isabela

One artifact which is common to people in San Isidro are the old pots of water called “Burnay Jar”. This pot was used as a container of water during 1800s to late 1900s. “Burnay Jar” is not being used today’s generation because of the modernization however, looking back in old times, “Burnay Jar” is one of the household essentials before. It is used to store a water and due to its texture and clay materials, it happens to condense a water and it will become cold. “Burnay Jar” is also used to store wines, salt, and other spices. During these days, people buy Burnay jars for decoration.

Burnay jar

The burnay salt jar is an earthenware pot made from clay abundant in the western areas of Vigan. The tradition dates back to pre-colonial times when Chinese immigrants first settled in Vigan. Today, Burnay potters still hand-make jars using traditional methods that involve a pottery wheel and kiln.

The Art of Making Burnay

These earthenware jars are crafted by a potter’s skillful hands with a help of potter’s wheel and a kiln. The potter uses a grade A clay that is widely available in the western area of Vigan. Fine sand is used as a tempering material to achieve the desired shape, afterwards, it will be placed inside a high-temperature ground kiln made of brick and clay. Because of this, people say that burnay jars are harder and durable compared to terra cotta.

Local and Tradeware Jar

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.