About the lot N° 129
Title : A Tampinco Divan
Size : H: 29 1/2” x L: 68” x W: 22” (75 cm x 173 cm x 56 cm)Provenance : Workshop of Isabelo Tampinco
ManilaNotes : PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT BULACAN FAMILY
Isabelo Tampinco y Lacandola studied sculpture at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura, Manila’s art academy, under Agustin Saez and Lorenzo Rocha. Hailed as one of the most outstanding sculptors of his time, he was admired by Jose Rizal, his classmate in a modeling class at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. Isabelo or ‘Lolong’ was principally known as a laborista, a carver of ornament, because of the doors, altars, ceilings and decorations he made for the Manila Cathedral and the Sto. Domingo and San Ignacio Churches in Intramuros. He also did decorative carvings for private homes, like transoms, picture frames and even furniture. At the turn-of-the-20th century, he created a uniquely Filipino style, when he incorporated native flora and fauna designs in his calado or pierced transoms. When Art Noveau became fashionable, his works abounded with native motifs like the anahaw, areca palm, gabi or taro leaves, sweet potato or camote vines and bamboo. It came to a point that any frame or furniture decorated with these was instantly labeled as by ‘Tampinco’. Some bedrooms in upper class houses in the colony had a backless couch with a curved headrest that served as a lounge. It is commonly called a divan in the Philippines, but the name is a misnomer, because a real divan is simply a very thick mattress pushed against a wall with lots of cushions placed against the latter to act as a backrest. Another local name for it is ‘Cleopatra’, an appellation bestowed by antique dealers, because most illustrations of the death of that Egyptian Queen show her reclining on a couch such as this. This narra divan made by Isabelo Tampinco is rather small in size and must have been commissioned by a tiny woman. It stands on four turned, tapering, fluted legs on bun feet and has a curved headrest on one side. The side and foot rails are carved with an alternating pattern of gumamela or hibiscus leaves and flowers interspersed with tiny anahaw or palmetto leaves. The side of the headrest is in the form of a large scroll carved with gumamala or hibiscus flowers terminating in a large anahaw leaf. The backgrounds of the carved rails are stippled to give a textured effect. The divan is provided with a vestige of a backrest featuring a central anahaw leaf flanked on either side by a pair of gumamela flowers on leafy stems. The background of the backrest has been cut out to lighten the effect of the piece. This is a most unusual piece and carries all the trademarks of Isabelo Tampinco. -Martin I. Tinio, Jr.Leon Gallery, auctioneer
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Sale title : The Asian Cultural Council Art Auction 2019
Sale date : 23 Feb 2019
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Sale Reference : Live Sale
