Inside the Escudero Mansion

While my companions from the Vibal Foundation were busy preparing their lighting and photographic equipments to shoot the Escudero Museum, I took the chance to tour the Escudero Mansion which was located just beside the museum. I thought that the mansion may contain more choice antiques than the museum as this is privately owned by the Escudero family and not open for tourists. The Escudero Mansion and Escudero Museum are located in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines.

The Escudero Ancestral Mansion was a magnificent house in the combined Art Deco and Art Nouveau style of architecture that was very popular among the wealthy Filipino families of the early 20th century. The structure is fronted by tall wrought iron gates and a well-manicured garden.

It seemed that there were no people around, and a sign in the gates stated that the mansion is private and not open for visitors. Still I decided to look around for someone I can ask permission to shoot photographs. After a few minutes, the front door of the mansion opened, and emerged a tall and very authoritative-looking gentleman, none other than Don Conrado Adap Escudero, the haciendero and owner of Villa Escudero.

It was the first time that I had personally met Don Ado Escudero, although I have already known him as a top collector of Ivory santos, icons, filipiniana and oriental antiquities. One of the wealthiest men in Laguna, Don Ado is now in his seventies, but he still looked strong and vibrant.

"Magandang araw po, Don Ado!" I said in my beautiful Tagalog.

"Magandang araw po naman, kilala po pala ninyo ako, ano po ba ang atin?" he answered in smile.

I stated that I was a writer for Filipiniana.net and Philippine Online Chronicles and I would like to ask permission to photograph the mansion and its magnificent gardens. Now, Don Ado belonged to the old generation of Filipinos who are polite and gracious talking to complete strangers. The famed warm Filipino hospitality is never lost to them and they welcome the visitors with charm and pride to their homes. Actually, I was just complacent photographing the facade of the mansion and its magnificent gardens, but the gracious Don Ado insisted that I come inside his house.

The mansion is made entirely of red narra timber which is quite rare to find nowadays. Built in the early 1920s by Don Ado's grandparents, the mansion was the most stately house I have seen in Laguna. It is simply majestic, and the taste for furnitures is elegant.

Don Ado proudly showed me the treasures of his house telling me the history of each piece of furniture. The Escuderos had been gracious hosts to many Philippine presidents and foreign dignitaries. At one time or another, the mansion hosted banquets to General Douglas MacArthur, Presidents Ford and Nixon, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, and many other diginitaries.

Don Conrado "Ado" Escudero, haciendero and owner of Villa Escudero

A solid marble table from Carara, Italy with Egyptian Sphinxes as motif.



Presidents, dignitaries, and royalties once dined in this marble table



Nuestra Senora de Paloma (life-size figure), one of the largest and most beautiful solid ivory santos in the Escudero collection. Carved from a solid mammoth tusk 200 years ago.



Don Ado, posing in front of his grandfather, the 19th century haciendero Don Placido Escudero. Painting by Felix Resureccion Hidalgo.



Wash basin

One of the most important possessions of the Escudero family is a very rare solid ivory Santo Nino Dormido from the 16th century. In the olden days, the Santo Nino Dormido (Sleeping Baby Jesus) occupies the central part of a catholic Filipino family altar. But the antique dormidos have long been extinct and very few families own one. (My very own dormido, which I bought for a hefty 80k pesos many years ago is only about 60 years old in comparison). The Dormido of the Escudero family is probably the oldest one in existence. It purportedly came from Mexico during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade and was eventually purchased by Don Placido Escudero (Don Ado's grandfather) in the 19th century. The Santo Nino, sleeping peacefully on his gilded pajamas, bed and urna, is truly a breathtaking piece of beauty, artistry and antiquity.