Relics of genius: Artifacts that changed the narrative

Photograph of José Rizal in Madrid and a photo of a painting by Don Roman Faustino y Topacio of Rizal treating a patient

Bearing rare art pieces from influential Filipino artists such as Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, and Fernando Zóbel, to name a few—León Gallery’s 2025 Magnificent September Auction also features select artifacts dating back to pre-colonial Philippines, up to the American occupation.

“This Magnificent September Auction 2025, we are paying homage to the Filipino spirit in every era of our storied past and deep-rooted heritage,” says Jaime L. Ponce de León, director of León Gallery.

The highly-awaited auction’s featured selecion includes rare, historical pieces such as the first edition copy of José Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere,” a Butuan dagger with a gold hilt from the pre-colonial era, and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date with an engraved signature of President Ferdinand Marcos.

More than collector’s items that’ll fetch a high price, these artifacts offer a peek into our country’s storied past, and a glimpse into the life that surrounded these items during their time.

The facade of Rizal’s dream academy, signed “J. Rizal 16 de Marzo” (lower right) 1892, Hong Kong, pen and ink in paper with metric measurements

Facade of José Rizal’s dream academy

The renaissance man of his era, José Rizal was a revolutionary, author, artist, doctor—and unbeknownst to many, also the first Filipino geodetic engineer who took up the course at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1877.

During his one-year stay in Hong Kong in 1891, he wrote about his dream school, which he wished to be built there. The draft is signed “J. Rizal 16 de Marzo,” and includes a five-story building with features reminiscent of European architecture.

According to Arhictect Gerard Lico in the Magnificent September Auction 2025 catalog, “The drawing reflects his assimilation of Catalan academic classicism, Parisian boulevard architecture, and German technical drafting. More than an academic exercise, it embodies his polymathic breadth and cosmopolitan vision, perhaps expressing an aspiration to translate Europe’s architectural ideals into a modern, orderly school at the turn-of-the-century.”

The piece was in the care of Narcisa Rizal’s family, sister of José Rizal, prior to its inclusion in the auction.

José Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere,” 1st Edition, signed and dedicated “To the distinguished Filipinista, Don T.H Pardo de Tavera, from his friend and countryman, J. Rizal”

The first edition of José Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere”

Perhaps one of the country’s most influential pieces of literature, José Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere,” wasn’t received too kindly by the Spanish government—so much so that copies of it were confiscated by the colonial regime, and destroyed later during the Philippine revolution and the World War II.

This signed copy dedicated to Pardo de Tavera, which currently resides in the National Library, is one of three signed copies in government archives: one, dedicated to Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo in the Malacañan Collection, the other, dedicated to Pastor Karl Ullmer in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany.

Rare photographs of José Rizal

From the Don Roman Faustino y Topacio collection, this selection shows José Rizal at two distinct points in his life: in Madrid during the height of his intellectual awakening in Europe; and back at home in the Philippines, where he uses his skills and learnings to bring care to those in need—the end goal of his academic pursuits.

A preserved souvenir program catalog from the 1895 Exposicion Regional de Filipinas

Exposición Regional Filipina Artes, Industria, Comercio Manila 23 de Enero 1895

Exposición Regional Filipina Artes was a historical event that allowed Filipino artists to showcare their works to both local and international audiences.

As stated in the Magnificent September Auction 2025 catalog, “It was the first regional expo of its kind, following the successful Exposición General de las Islas Filipinas in Madrid in 1887… This Manila exposition served as a testament to the growing artistic talent within the archipelago. It provided a platform for both established and emerging Filipino artists to display their work locally.”

The lot features a preserved souvenir program catalog which features Juan Luna’s “España y Filipinas” on the cover.

The pamphlet contains both the American and Philippine flags, portraying the perceived alliance between the two nations at the time

1898 Philippine-American War Era Song and Poetry Pamphlet Souvenir Songbook: 25 Original Songs and Poems Written by the 8th Army Corps

This artifact features a collection of original songs and poems written by the Eighth Army Corps that fought in the Spanish-American War. It was published in 1898 and became a keepsake for the American soldiers that entered the country after.

“Delle Navigationi et Viaggi” (on navigations and travels) compiled and edited by Giovanni Battista Ramusio

Giovanni Battista Ramusio’s “Delle Navigationi et Viaggi” (on navigations and travels)

According to the Magnificent September Auction 2025 catalog, Giovanni Battista Ramusio was a Venetian geographer. His “Navigationi et Viaggi,” was a compilation of travel narratives from the accounts of several historical explorers such as Marco Polo, Columbus, and Antonio Pigafetta.

The first volume of “Navigationi et Viaggi” contains Pigafetta’s account of Magellan’s journey to the Philippines, including notable encounters in Homonhon, Cebu, and Mactan. The second volume focuses on Central Asia, Persia, Russia, and the Arctic, while the third primarily features the Americas.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date, 18k Yellow Gold, with engraved signature of President Marcos in case back

Rolex signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos

According to León Gallery, the piece originates from the personal collection of a previous member President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ administration during the Martial Law era. The watch, which features the former president’s signature, symbolizes both loyalty and corruption at the highest level, at a time when the “Rolex 12” symbolized membership in Marcos’ inner circle.

Model: Day-Date

Reference Number: 1803

Serial Number: 1230179

Movement: Automatic

Case material: Yellow gold

Bracelet material: Yellow gold

No original box, no original papers

Steinway Hamburg Grand Piano (1911), ca.1976, serial number: 447427, ivory keys, dark walnut with upholstered stool

Steinway Hamburg grand piano acquired for the 1976 inauguration of the Philippine Plaza Hotel

This Steinway Model A Grand Piano is dated back to 1976 and is estimated to have been the very same piano brought to the opening of the Philippine Plaza hotel. The event also coincided with the 28th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB), which was held in Manila on September 1976.

10th to 13th century iron blade from Butuan, Northeastern Mindanao

Pre-colonial Butuan dagger with a gold hilt

A pre-colonial iron blade with a golden hilt, this dagger was created a time when gold was abundant in the country. “It is not certain when Filipinos first learned to mine gold, but the earliest gold objects found date as far back as 500 BCE,” notes “Land of the Morning: The Philippines and Its People,” published by the Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM) Singapore.

Leon Gallery’s Magnificent September Auction 2025 starts at 2 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2025 at G/F Eurovilla 1, Rufino corner Legazpi St., Legazpi Village, Makati City