A Quezon Home’s Storied Furniture Leads The Collection Of Hardwood Lots In Salcedo Auctions' "The Finer Pursuits" Sale

Almost 100 years ago when Manuel L. Quezon was campaigning for the Partido Nationalista in Lucban, Tayabas (now Quezon Province), he would spend his nights at the bahay na bato of his good friend Don Vedasto Cadeliña, who, like any hospitable Filipino host, graciously offered his master bedroom for use to the future president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Almost a hundred years later, that same room remains a pristine time capsule. The bed, the aparador, and chair that Quezon and his wife used are still there–now tangible records of a historic past. The Cadeliña house also still stands, having weathered more than a century of existence. Now, it's a repository of stories and memories of its residents. 

The Cadeliñas were Lucban natives whose intermarriages with the Villaseñor principalia clan made them part of the wealthiest family in Tayabas, owning vast swathes of land in the province. They were also fierce Rizalians who strongly supported the declaration of Dr. Jose Rizal as National  Hero in 1901. 

So much so that Don Ysmael Villaseñor joined the art competition organized by the Rizal Monument Committee in 1905 to design a boceto (scale model) of the hero’s sculpture for the Luneta monument. While his design did not win, it was erected instead in Lucban’s plaza in 1915.

Within the same year, the Cadeliña family commissioned a special aparador with an exquisitely carved bust of the National Hero surmounted on the crown. 

Don Vedasto Cadeliña was a pharmacist and served as mayor of Lucban for two terms – from 1905 to 1908 and from 1917 to 1922. During his first tenure as mayor, Manuel L. Quezon was governor of Tayabas from 1906 to 1907. Don Vedasto was a good friend and confidante of Manuel. As Don Vedasto’s great grandson put it, they were barkada. The Quezons were regular visitors to the Cadeliña house on numerous occasions when they needed to spend the night in Lucban on official visits. 

Being a wealthy gentleman also meant that Don Vedasto had a penchant for the artisanal. He grew a collection of cabinets, beds, and santos. Some of these religious figures are still in excellent condition and are being used during Holy Week processions. Don Vedasto’s taste for the aesthetic can be gleaned from the choice of hardwood and intricate carvings of his bed and armchair. His platera has foo dogs as finials, though charmingly more tamed than usual. The custom-made Rizal aparador incorporated the Neoclassical style in its towering glory.   

Don Vedasto’s prized furniture now leads the formidable collection of antique hardwood lots (Ming tables, furniture by Ah Tay and Nuguid) on offer by Salcedo Auctions at its upcoming Finer Pursuits: Important Philippine Art & Rare Collectibles live and online auction on June 3, 2023. National Artist Ang Kiukok headlines the sale with Man and Dog, a large 1975 oil on canvas that has sterling exhibition and publication history, along with masterpieces by National Artists J. Elizalde Navarro, Arturo Luz, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, and Cesar Legaspi; leading modernists Justin Nuyda, Nena Saguil, Onib Olmedo, and Constancio Bernardo; and renowned contemporary artists Betsy Westendorp, Mark Justiniani, Ramon Orlina, and Ronald Ventura, among the over 200 lots selected by the premier auction house’s specialists. 

For a century-old residence, the excellent condition of the Cadeliña ancestral house’s antique furniture is admirable and reflective of the finer pursuits of its original owner and the care of his descendants. Don Vedasto’s furniture is not only rich in love and care by its keepers, but also steeped in history and stories that deserve to be brought to light and shared  beyond  the art and heritage community.

To participate in Finer Pursuits: Important Philippine Art & Rare Collectibles auction, visit Salcedo Auctions here.