Here’s how you can bid on pieces from the personal collections of Filipino heiresses
Looking for exquisite items you can add to your home?
Great finds from the personal collections of some of the country's heiresses are set to be up for auction on Saturday, Jan. 23, and Sunday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. at the Leon Exchange Online Auction under "Heiresses' Home and Tables."
Furniture pieces from the lovely abode of esteemed philanthropist Gina Lopez, who succumbed to multiple organ failure in 2019, will be sold at the affair. Apart from having served as the former chairperson of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. and former Environment Secretary, she also founded Bantay Banta 163 and Investments in Loving Organizations for Village Economies (iLOVE) aimed at offering a helping hand to the marginalized. She spent most of her life launching campaigns to save the environment, rescuing child abuse victims, advocating for education, among others.
Her writing desks are up for grabs, with prices ranging from P3,000 to P10,000.
Complete with sofa and armchairs, this Louis XVI Suite from the Doña Nene Quimson collection can easily add warmth to your home with its wooden touch and timeless design. Nene Quimson founded the Filipino Women’s Association (FWA-UK) in 1988 alongside fourteen women “with the goal to emphasize the positive contributions of Filipino women in society.”
The organization later grew significantly, making her its patron and president of honor. Wife of John Quimson, the late Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James in the United Kingdom, she lives between the Philippines and the UK.
You might also want to grab this Antique Caja de Hierro that measures 16" x 20" x 15" (41 cm x 51 cm x 38 cm), where you can store photo albums and other things that are dear to your heart.
Doña Rosa Roxas de Zaragoza of Binondo and Quiapo gave this bed to her future daughter-in-law Rosario Velez y Rodriguez Infante of Guagua, Pampanga. "Elias Zaragoza, the bridegroom, was then pursuing Visayas Regidor, the English-born daughter of Antonio Ma. Regidor, a brilliant barrister and patriot," according to the catalog. The matrimonial bed was made by renowned sculptor Isabelo Tampico, who was "admired not just for his carved ornaments but also for his furniture pieces for private homes laden with native motifs, from the anahaw and gabi (taro leaves) to camote vines."
Speaking of beds, the Four-Poster Bed aka the "Calabasa (squash) Bed" was one of the best-selling items made by Ah Tay, the "foremost furniture maker in the colony" during the last quarter of the 19th century. It measures 97" x 55" x 86" (246 cm x 140 cm x 218 cm).
If you have a wood-themed home, the Quintessential sakang table can keep your important items within your reach. Found only in the old provinces around Manila in the 17th century, it's decorated with iron bosses with drawers that "have keyhole shields made of handwrought iron." Just take note of its measurements: 30 1/2” x 45” x 23” (77 cm x 114 cm x 58 cm) so it can perfectly complement the height of your other furniture.
To bid on some pieces from their personal collections, you may register at Leon Exchange's official website. You may also preview the items you're looking to buy at León Gallery, Warehouse 14, La Fuerza Compound, Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati.
Article thumbnails from Leon Exchange and Gina Lopez Legacy's Instagram account