10 Interesting Filipino Coffee Table Books: Betsy Westendorp, Old Manila, And More

Published by the Consuelo Madrigal Foundation in 1997, this autobiography of the Philippine high society grand doyenne Doña Consuelo Madrigal Collantes does not only chronicle the life and times of the author but also paints a colourful picture of how the renowned society ladies crossed paths before and altogether shaped our standards of fashion, art, culture, and entertainment. Her opulent life as seen in the archival photos and personal letters gives us a glimpse of who Chito was and how it propelled her to become the country's foremost philanthropist of her time.

Read More: Remembering The Philanthropic Works Of Society Grand Doyenne Consuelo "Chito" Madrigal

Available at Amazon (limited copies)

Published by Ars Mundi, Philippinae, this visually striking book by José Maria A. Cariño shows us a colourful portrait of the Philippine life during the Spanish Colonial Period through the works of Damian Domingo, Jose Honorato Lozano, and many more. This gargantuan book culls the finest and rarest works of the artists of the period and ties them with the tipos del pais style. Moreover, it also narrates the lifestyle of the principalias, mestizos, and ilustrados of the time as well as the socio-economic status of the period.

Read More: Letras y Figuras: The 19th-Century Philippine Art Form's Origins And Legacy

This two-volume coffee table book gives us a retrospective on the life and art of the extraordinary painter Betsy Westendorp. In celebration of her 90th birthday, the De La Salle University Publishing House helmed this project with esteemed art critic Cid Reyes writing the English text and Elena Flórez for the Spanish text. The books include the most iconic impressionist paintings of the artist, which includes nature and portraits of royals and heads of state, her family and friends, and the elites of her time. Making this lavish culmination of paintings possible was graphic designer Iñigo Cerdan.

Read More: Betsy Westendorp And The Art In Her Family's Veins

Available at the De La Salle Publishing House

Vibal Foundation, BDO Private Bank, and the Kalaw Ledesma Foundation partnered in making this latest coffee table book about the prolific life and legacy of Purita Kalaw-Ledesma back in 2017. Dubbed as the "Mother of Philippine Modern Art", Purita Kalaw-Ledesma founded the Art Association of the Philippines and launched the careers of many renowned artists from the '50s to the '80s and beyond through her stalwart support until her very last days. It is an extensive book that collates Kalaw-Ledesma's clippings of art writings, posters, correspondences, and exhibition invitations over the decades. Somehow, it was like an autobiography because most of the materials that Clarissa Chikiamco, Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez, and Dr Patrick Flores used for the book were documentations and chronicles of the enigmatic lady herself on the Philippine art scene.

Read More: Purita Kalaw-Ledesma: The Woman Who Changed The History Of Philippine Art

Available at Vibal Group

Translated and annotated by National Artist Carlos Quirino, together with Ma. Luisa Garcia and Mauro Garcia, this second edition of Boxer Codex inspired by the collection of renowned colonial maritime scholar Professor Charles Boxer narrates through detailed descriptions and lavish illustrations the Pre-Colonial Philippines. It depicts the customs and ways of life of the various peoples of East and Southeast Asia, most especially the Philippines. This bilingual edition, in modern Spanish and English, is a perfect project of the Vibal Group to commemorate the 500th year anniversary of Philippine-Spanish encounter.

Read More: Barong Tagalog: The History Of The Traditional Filipino Attire

Available at Vibal Group

Authored by Carlos Quirino as well, this second edition of Old Manila was edited by Ma. Eloisa P. De Castro and is an evocative and intensive collection of essays that showcase the life in Old Manila during the Spanish rule up to its last years. It addresses varied themes with enriched visuals like maps, postcards, engravings, sketches, and photographs.

Read More: A Dose Of History: The Glory Days Of Philippine Society Before World War II

Available at Vibal Group

Featuring the photographs of acclaimed photographer Neal Oshima, this best-selling book curates classical and regional dish recipes and complements them with notes and tips from some of the Philippines' culinary scene's icons like Glenda Barretto, Claude Tayag, and Myrna Segismundo, to name a few. This expanded version serves as a continuation of Anvil Publishing's movement to inspire homemakers, cooks, students, purveyors, retailers, and restaurants to elevate Filipino cuisine.

Read More: Why Is Filipino Cuisine One Of The Richest Food Cultures In The World

Available at Anvil Publishing

This book showcases more than 1,000 gold objects recovered in the Philippines from the 1960s to 1981 and now under the care of the Ayala Museum. Edited by Florina H. Capistrano-Baker, John Guy, and John N. Miksic, Philippine Ancestral Gold finds the linkages and regional affinities through trade networks around Southeast Asian cultures that made these Philippine gold artefacts from the Pre-Colonial era possible. Also, it digs deeper into the cultural and spiritual value of each ornament, not to mention their incredible aesthetic beauty.

Read More: Pre-Colonial Gold In The Philippines: What We Know Of Its Origins, Cultural Value, And More

Available At Ayala Museum

Penned by Gaspar A. Vibal and Dennis S. Villegas, and edited by Teddy O. Co, this lavishly illustrated art book not only chronicles in a dazzling manner the 100 wonderful years of Philippine cinema but also provides an interesting narrative on its development throughout the years. It provides a retrospective on the early beginnings of filmmaking in the country up to the technological marvels of the recent decade. It contains hundreds of essays on the most iconic Filipino films in history and the showbiz gossips that came with them as well as insider information on premier filmmakers and artists.

Read More: 10 Iconic Films That Shaped Philippine Cinema

Available at Vibal Group