By Bryle B. Suralta
Casa de Memoria, the Lhullier-managed auction house devoted to European antiquities, furniture and objet d’arts, begins its 15th auction for the 2019 season with The Casa Open on March 9, 2 p.m., at its new venue, The Palacio de Memoria on Roxas Boulevard.
More than 170 items, ranging from Flemish cabinetry, Chinese porcelain, distinctive Italian oil paintings and unique neoclassical silver, are included in the catalog for The Casa Open.
The pre-war seaside estate on Roxas Boulevard, or Dewey Boulevard back in the day, will now be home to the annual auctions beginning this month. Casa de Memoria’s remaining four auctions will be expanded in the restored seven-story mansion, with scheduled events in May, July, September and November.
Built following the Spanish Revival style, the villa is also envisioned to be an art space and living museum, providing a future venue for lectures and a high-end dining experience.
Founder Angelique “Angie” Lhuillier is excited about what’s in store for the new space. The auction house director underscores that “Palacio de Memoria is the perfect homage to an age gone by, a touch of Europe, sold, auctioned at manageable pricing.”
She adds: “It is without a doubt the first European auction house in the country, providing an international experience to buyers.”
Meanwhile, Casa de Memoria’s marketing manager Camille Lhuillier also emphasizes that the home is here to provide art collectors and lovers of history a “vignette of an era gone by.”
“My sister, Angie (Lhuillier) and I are committed to telling a story of a great Filipino past. The Palacio harkens to a time in our history where Manila, and the Philippines, was the true Pearl of the Orient,” she claims.
One of the highlights of the auction includes a Bolivian-Episcopalian chair from the ninth century. Its upholstered seat dressed in crimson red fabric is surrounded by detailed reliefs, showing various motifs–birds, lions, flowers, fruits, scallop, foliages and sogueado, as well as images of angels, Saint Michael and the Immaculate Conception.
A notable George III-styled English mahogany bookcase, which dates back to the 19th-century, is also up for auction. Its base is built with adjustable black leathered-surface writing desk, while the center panel can be lifted for reading. It is said to be “an absolute must in a gentleman’s den.”
Another piece worth mentioning is an Italian 19th-century oil painting on canvas depicting “Ponte Emilio,” now called Ponte Rotto (or Broken Bridge). It is one of the oldest Roman bridges to date, constructed around 200 B.C.
These and other unique pieces will be available for viewing until March 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Palacio de Memoria, 95 Bayview Drive, Los Tamaraos Village, Barangay Tambo, Paranaque.
For more information, visit www.casadememoria.com to view the official catalog.
