Page 21 - Christies March 16, 2017 The Varata Collection NYC

MARIE THERESA L. VIRATA: A TRIBUTE

Ramon Villegas, Philippine historian
Bambi Lammoglia Harper, sister of Bebe Virata

Few individuals embodied the grace and charm of the Philippines
like Marie Theresa Lammoglia Virata. A prominent member of
Philippine society, she stood alongside her husband, the economist
and businessman Leonides Sarao Virata, as a symbol of the nation’s
dedication to art, culture, and prosperity. The admirable legacy
of ‘Bebe’ Virata is embodied in the striking collection of Chinese
works of art she acquired across her lifetime—tangible examples of
a decades-long commitment to knowledge and beauty.

Born in 1923 in the Manila suburb of Malate, the young Marie

Theresa Lammoglia demonstrated an early interest in learning

and art. ‘Bebe,’ as her father nicknamed her, inherited a keen

aesthetic eye from her family, distinguished Italian jewelers to

Manila’s cosmopolitan élite. As a girl, Mrs. Virata was especially

devoted to books and reading, and graduated in 1941 from St.

Scholastica’s College. The Second World War had a lasting impact

on the Lammoglia family, and ultimately prevented Mrs. Virata

Bebe and her sister Bambi, 1960s. from attending university. Mindful of her lack of formal education,
碧碧與其胞姐班比攝於1960年代。 the collector fervently pursued her scholarly interests, including

archaeology and the history of art. In the early 1950s, she married the economist and

entrepreneur Leonides Virata. A former professor at Harvard University, the University of

Chicago and Northwestern University, Mr. Virata was the founder of numerous businesses

and the overseer of the American International Group’s Philippines investments. He became

a central fgure in the nation’s post-war

expansion, serving as secretary of the

Department of Commerce and Industry

and chairman of the Development Bank

of the Philippines. Together, the couple

celebrated the birth of two children, Luis

and Giovanna Virata.

Peter Kwok and Luis Virata at the Forbidden City, Beijing, 1985.
郭炎與路易•維勒泰攝於北京，1985年。

THE MARIE THERESA L. V I R ATA C O L L E C T I O N OF ASIAN ART: A FAMILY LEGACY 19