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This handsome and sophisticated 1923 aparador (wardrobe), principally of kamagong wood (Philippine ebony), has two doors of differing designs—the left door has three framed sections (horizontal–vertical–horizontal panels) while the right door frame has a beveled mirror. Interestingly, the interior of the cabinet has a coffered ceiling composed of several small, raised kamagong and narra wood panels. The doors are flanked by plain pilasters. The sides of the cabinet are of four framed kamagong panels (horizontal–vertical–vertical–horizontal). On top of the doors is an entablature with moldings, in the center of which is a diamond-shaped cartouche carved with the year 1923, the 25th wedding anniversary of the owners. The entablature is surmounted by a crest in the Filipino art nouveau style, also known as estilo Tampinco, with intertwined ampalaya (bitter gourd) leaves, native fern leaves, native orchid leaves, katmon (Philippine dillenia) flower buds, and sinuous whiplash curves culminating with a katmon flower in full bloom. The entwined initials “RV,” formed from native orchid leaves, stand for the surnames of the couple Maximo Viola and Juana Roura. Underneath the two doors is a drawer delineated by moldings above and below. The whole ensemble is supported by four modern-looking plinth feet. Even though it is Filipino art nouveau in ornamentation, this aparador, in philosophy and prescience, already presaged the modernity, sleekness, and luxurious materials of the Arts Décoratifs (Art Deco) movement, which would officially debut in Paris, France two years later in 1925. Martin Imperial Tinio Jr., aka “Sonny,” likes to share his discoveries in scholarly research. He is fond of excavating old documents at the National Archives, tirelessly reading through various bienes de difuntos (last wills and testaments) inevitably of rich Filipinos. He related that in the inventories of possessions, any piece of furniture with glass and mirror (the glass and mirror were imported from Europe, United States, and even China) as well as any piece of kamagong furniture (kamagong was a prized wood) were deemed the most valuable in the household and priced the highest. This value system clearly shows the priorities of our forebears. Dr. Alejandro Reyes Roces, aka “Anding,” National Artist for Literature, former Secretary of Education, nationalist, heritage advocate, writer/journalist, was the proud owner of this Maximo Viola aparador for many years. It served as a chic bar in his comedor (dining room). Maximo Viola y Sison was born to the couple Pedro Viola and Isabel Sison on October 17, 1857 in barrio Santa Rita, San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan. At that time, the Violas were one of the most landed families in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan while the Sisons were the most landed family of Lingayen, Pangasinan. Thus, Maximo Viola was born a very rich hacendero (landowner). He finished his bachillerato at the Universidad de Santo Tomas in Manila in 1882. He finished his medical studies at the Universitat de Barcelona and became a doctor in Spain in 1886. Viola became good friends with fellow medical doctor Jose Rizal in Spain. He gradually became involved in the propaganda movement along with other reformists Graciano Lopez-Jaena, Mariano Ponce, and Marcelo del Pilar. Rizal and Viola traveled together through Germany, Austria–Hungary, and Switzerland from May to June 1887, where they met several of Rizal’s friends and mentors, including the esteemed Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt in Leitmeritz, Bohemia (now Litomerice, Czech Republic). Rizal frequently suffered from a lack of funds in Europe. There were no fast and efficient modes of cash remittances then, not even with the international banks, mostly relying on padala (handcarry) by visiting family and friends from Manila. Because of this, Rizal became despondent about the publication of his novel Noli Me Tangere and thought of destroying it once and for all. The affluent Viola intervened and provided the funds for the publishing of the first 2,000 copies of the Noli Me Tangere. In gratitude to his good friend, Rizal presented Viola with the galley proof and the first printed copy of his controversial but nationalistic novel. Viola returned to Filipinas in 1887 as a medical doctor. Like most of the high-minded Filipino ilustrado doctors trained in Europe, he treated poor patients for free. Upon his return to Filipinas, Viola married Juana Roura, a beautiful Spanish mestiza also of San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, and they had five children. Viola secretly met with his good friend Rizal during the latter’s visit in June 1892. Rizal traveled to see his friends the Venturas in Bacolor, Pampanga, the Arnedos in Apalit, Pampanga, and the Constantinos in Bigaa, Bulacan. Rizal was under surveillance by the Spanish authorities all throughout and all the prominent families he visited were harassed to varying degrees, not much with the Venturas and the Arnedos, but Valentin Constantino was tortured almost to the point of death. The Spanish colonial authorities were suspicious of Viola, as they were of all ilustrados and principalias, all the way to the 1896 revolution. For some time during the revolution, Viola and his two brothers stayed in the caves of Biak-na-Bato, some distance away from San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan. Viola, like many prominent revolutionary leaders, was imprisoned by the Americans in Manila during the early part of their occupation in 1899. He was even sent to captivity in Olongapo,Zambales. He was freed when an American doctor, Dr. Fresnell, requested his assistance in the field of infectious tropical diseases. All his life, Viola liked to express his artistic side. From middle age onwards, he liked to design and produce elegant furniture for his own use, mostly of rare kamagong wood. He won an award at a Manila furniture exposition in 1920, one of several plaudits he received during his furniture-making phase. As a major hacendero of San Miguel de Mayumo, Viola was active in dealing with the political, economic, and social issues of his time. He became the president of La Liga de Proprietarios, a reactive organization of landowners that sought to diminish the growing influence of unscrupulous politicians over farm tenants. He opposed the illegal acquisition, or outright confiscation, of farmlands by the British firm contracted for the extension of the Manila railroad line to faraway Cabanatuan town in Nueva Ecija. He rallied for just compensation to landowners, big and small. Viola passed away of cancer at 75 years old on September 3, 1933 in barrio San Jose, San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan.