Page 22 - Christies March 16, 2017 The Varata Collection NYC

The swearing-in of Leonides Virata by President Magsaysay upon the formation of the National Economic Council, Manila, 1956.
麥格塞塞總統於馬尼拉國家經濟委員會成立時主持雷奧尼德•維勒泰的就職儀式。

With great connoisseurship, Marie Theresa Virata acquired exquisite works from across the
canon of Chinese art. An afinity for knowledge informed Mrs. Virata’s journey in collecting:
encouraged by scholars such as Robert Bradford Fox and Avelino Legaspi of the National
Museum of the Philippines, she fnanced excavations of archaeological sites and heritage
projects, leading to the uncovering of porcelains,
precious metals, and pottery from the Tang, Song, and
Ming dynasties. Through her passion for scholarship
and support of archaeological research, Mrs. Virata
came to develop close bonds with some of the world’s
leading minds in Asian art, including Sir John Addis,
Margaret Medley, Cheng Te-k’un, and Sir John Pope-
Hennessey.

Working alongside auction house specialists such
as Anthony Derham of Christie’s, dealer Alice Boney,
and the famed Robert Hatfeld Ellsworth—a man
who became a dear friend to the Viratas and their
children—Mrs. Virata amassed a signifcant collection
of fne art and historically signifcant artifacts. At
the Viratas’ elegant residence in the Manila, period

The swearing-in of Leonides Virata by President Ferdinand E. Marcos as
cabinet secretary of commerce and industry, 1969.
馬可仕總統主持雷奧尼德•維勒泰宣誓就職工商部長之儀式，1969年。

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