Bahandi, The Rosita R. Arcenas Collection of Chinese and Southeast Asian Trade Ware gallery was officially inaugurated 2018.
Rosita R. Arcenas started collecting antiques after a friend encouraged her to buy and keep them in her home city Cebu, before collectors brought everything to Manila, many to be sold to foreign markets. Her collection started as gifts from those patients who Rositas husband didn’t charge any fees for his medical services.
Rosita Arcenas then started to buy Chines antiques, all found in the Philippines, from traders who brought excavated ceramics to her office at the Sugbuanon Rural Bank which she owned and managed.
Her three sons, Luis, Raul and Danny decided to go through the whole collection, hired the best experts on ancient ceramics and assisted the founding of the museum.
Photo: Arto Vuohelainen
