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As a stellar year of auction highs comes to a close, Salcedo Auctions rings in its final sale of 2017, Under the Tree: The Wish List on Saturday, 25 November at Three Salcedo Place. The collection of close to 300 lots expertly curated by Salcedo Auctions specialists to bring together the Season’s most fabulous wish list includes important Philippine art, fine jewelry and timepieces, rare books and maps, objets d’art and handcrafted antique Philippine furniture of exqusite provenance.
Among the Philippine art highlights are highly sought after works by National Artists Ang Kiukok, BenCab, H.R. Ocampo, and Arturo Luz, as well as by the esteemed modernist Danilo Dalena.
A very rare, much sought-after and large Larawan series by National Artist BenCab shows a beauteous enigma – a woman dressed in turn of the century garb with a Mona Lisa smile. Sainted yet coquettish, a vision of Filipina maidenhood.
Polo Players, one of National Artist H.R. Ocampo’s earliest known works, is a documented 1939 oil on canvas, with excellent provenance from the Jose Araneta collection, thence to the collection of renowned art and antiques connoisseur Antonio Nazareno. The style utilized in the piece is figurative however the technique, simplicity of shapes, and use of lines are indicative of the beginning of the artist’s more familiar abstract style.
An untitled piece from Danilo Dalena’s Alibangbang series will also be going under the hammer. The series refers to a beerhouse in Cubao that was known for a wide array of night habitues in the 80s. The sought-after Dalena work is voyeuristic in nature and illustrates social decay—faceless, anonymous masses sitting, writhing and tightly packed—and imbued with emotive figurative expressionism.
Beyond Philippine art, over 30 carefully selected timepieces will also be auctioned off. Among these are a never before worn tourbillon from the house of Graff and vintage Rolex watches.
On the heels of Salcedo Auctions’ record sale of the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona for P22 million, the local watch scene is once again elevated through the offering of two ultra collectible Rolexes that bring the sale to an international level. The first, a military Submariner or ‘Milsub’ in original condition acquired from international collector Robert Maron. Commissioned by the British Ministry of Defense and never intended for public sale, it was used by British military divers in the 1970s and worn during combat and on special missions. This particular dive watch is perhaps the most famous of military watches and holds a place in watch history. Approximately 1,500 units of the Milsub were delivered from 1971 to 1979 and less than a few hundred survive today, making it one of the most highly sought-after timepieces.
This is followed by the ultra rare 5513 Submariner with a 3, 6, 9 Explorer dial. The same reference recently sold in the U.K. for over £200,000. While multiple variations of the Submariner Ref. 5513 exist, this dial is considered to be one of the rarest and most collectible variations. Named for its use of Arabic numerals in the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions, the dial were made for a short amount of time in very limited quantities, making it an extremely valuable piece in any collection.
As part of the selection of Philippine tribal art, a very rare pair of bulul, circa 1900, and a male seated bulul in a central Ifugao style are exceptional finds for collectors of ethnographic artifacts. Exquisite offerings in Philippine furniture include pieces from the estate of Don Isauro Gabaldon y Gonzales. Moving from his grand estate in Nueva Ecija to his home in Manila, and finally in the ‘50s to his heirs in Bacolod City, the pieces are comprised of a very fine kamagong, narra and solihiya bed with acanthus details, a 12-seater narra dining table with Neoclassical elements and two narra Baliuag beds.
A festive way to end the year the Salcedo Auctions way, Under the Tree: The Wish List takes place on Saturday, 25 November 2017 at Three Salcedo Place at 1pm. The preview will run from 17–24 November from 10am-6pm. View the catalogue at www.salcedoauctions.com. For inquiries, phone +632 6594094, 8230956, +63917 8946550, or email [email protected]. Follow @salcedoauctions on IG and FB for updates on this auction.
