MANILA, Philippines — León Gallery September auction Rare works by some of the Philippines’ most important artists and historically significant pieces from private collections will go under the hammer at León Gallery’s The Magnificent September Auction 2026 on Sept. 12, highlighting the enduring market for Philippine art, antiques and cultural heritage.
Among the major works in the auction is Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s Two Women in Brown, considered her last known major work from her highly productive Philippine period in the 1950s to early 1960s.
Another key lot is Fernando Zóbel’s Saeta 82 - Filadelfia, a rare work painted in the United States.
The auction will also feature pieces from the collection of Ma. Cristina “Kit” Ongpin-Roxas, a prominent figure in Manila’s art and antiques community.
The collection also includes pre-colonial Philippine gold ornaments, including a pair of earrings composed of genuine excavated gold elements dating from the 12th to 15th centuries and associated with the Butuan/Agusan-Surigao cultural sphere.
Historical pieces
The auction will also offer historical objects connected to some of the Philippines’ most prominent figures.
Among these are Dr. Jose Rizal’s ivory and bone chess pieces, which he hand-painted during his exile in Dapitan. The sets feature distinctive European and African-inspired pieces, reflecting Rizal’s intellectual and artistic interests.
Also going on the block are General Antonio Luna’s epaulets, designed by his brother, painter Juan Luna. The pieces were reportedly entrusted by Luna to close friends before his assassination and were subsequently passed down secretly through generations, remaining hidden for 127 years before resurfacing.
The auction will likewise feature the Plans for the Malacañang, drawn after the destructive 1880 earthquake and linked to the transformation of Malacañang from a summer mansion into the palace it is today.