The lots offered at Salcedo Auctions’ recently concluded The Well-Appointed Life sale last Saturday, 16 September, ignited passions among discerning buyers of both art from the “Important Philippine Art” category and antique furniture and ecclesiastical objects from the “Connoisseur Collection.” With the highest clearance rate this auction season, and sale results that provide the public with valuable insights on the current state of the Philippine art market, Salcedo Auctions well and truly remains an arbiter and barometer.
The auction house presents a Fernando Amorsolo portrait up close, to the delight of its enthusiastic winning bidder.
The Philippine art world’s greats continued to pull in the bidders, their attention drawn foremost by Anita Magsaysay-Ho, whose untitled 1976 oil on canvas (Women with Baskets) set a new auction benchmark for the artist at Salcedo, going for P40,880,000. National Artists Ang Kiukok, Arturo Luz, and Jose Joya, along with the masterpieces of Oscar Zalameda and Mauro Malang Santos, also achieved significant outcomes.
Salcedo Auctions’ Richie Lerma
The Well-Appointed Life set new auction records, starting with National Artist nominee Santiago Bose, who, with the continued focus and expert attention given to the artist, is steadily gaining the attention of a wider base of collectors, as seen in the outcome for Design for the Philippines, which sold at P3,504,000. Solomon Saprid’s Tikbalang bronze sculpture fetched P5,022,000, while Rodel Tapaya’s Repatriated Bodies broke the artist’s record based on its size, hitting P9,344,000. It is worth noting that the world auction record for a Tapaya was also set at Salcedo Auctions in July 2019. Yale-educated Constancio Bernardo surprised everyone, given that his works rarely make an appearance at auction, captivating foreign audiences attuned to the impeccable technique and artistic training that are the hallmarks of great artists, which pushed the bidding for Interaction No. 1—and for that matter, any work by the artist—past the million mark for the very first time, closing at P1,401,600.
Santiago Bose’s ‘Design for the Philippines’ sold at P3,504,000.
Rodel Tapaya’s impressive ‘Repatriated Bodies’ broke the artist’s record based on its size, soaring at P9,344,000
The late Yale-educated Constancio Bernardo achieved his first million at a public auction, setting a new world record for the underrated modernist master, with ‘Interaction No. 1’ selling at P1,401,600
The bidding for Philippine antiques from the “Connoisseur Collection” was off to a good start, with collectors vying to own a chess board made of precious Philippine hardwoods, its chess pieces constructed to rock back and forth on their round, center-weighted bases, as the set was commissioned by its original owner to be used on a yacht to prevent the pieces from toppling over! It sold at P163,520, way above its low estimate of P30,000. Ecclesiastical art collectors, meanwhile, lifted prices 200 percent above the respective published estimates for the processional Santo Cristo head with holes for Tres Potencias, the de tallado San Vicente Ferrer figure, and the ivory head de vestir image of Our Lady of Antipolo encased in a shadow box. The momentum continued throughout the sale with spirited bidding for an outstanding lot of antique furniture, showing the growth of this collecting category. The highlight of this section was undoubtedly the Paterno-Villar 19th century marble-top table by Ah Tay, which fetched P1,752,000, to cheers from the auction crowd.
There is more in store for art lovers and collectors from the auction house in the last quarter of the year. Its gallery arm Salcedo Private View presents misfits in the afternoon, a collective exhibition by artists Ronald Achacoso, Francesca Enriquez, Jet Melencio, Aleth Ocampo, Dan Raralio, Popo San Pascual, Reg Yuson, and Pardo de Leon from September 28 to October 11, 2023. This will also be a reunion of sorts for the artist-friends after almost three decades, and Salcedo Private View is proud to host such a gathering of Philippine contemporary artists and their unique works.
‘misfits in the afternoon’ by Salcedo Private View opens on September 28 and runs
through October 11, 2023.
Emerging collectors and seasoned connoisseurs can also expect more exciting lots from October’s gavel&block art+design online auction scheduled on 21 October, and the year-end marquee Under the Tree: The Wish List live and online auction that takes place for the first time in the first week of December. Consignments are welcome and can be sent via . For more information, visit the Salcedo Auctions website or send an email to info@salcedoauctions.com, or phone +63 917 825 7449 | +63 917 591 2191 | +63 917 107 5581.
