For some, the past should stay where it is: in the past, only to be cherished in memories. But for the family behind Tucucan Antiques and Furniture, the past is their way forward and to a legacy.
Upon entering their showrooms, you’ll feel transported into another – or shall we say- multiple eras. From one corner to the next, you’ll be jumping from one time period to another. And you’ll never really know where you’ll end up next.
It can be overwhelming, taking all their antiques and crafts all in at once. But we found that the key to appreciating it all is to take it one by one. That way, you’ll get to appreciate the charm, the splendor, and the handiwork of bygone eras you can only imagine. But the best part of it all is the stories.
More than a showroom of antique items for sale, Tucucan has a sprawling collection of stories. Each item you’ll see in their showroom tells a different tale from a different time. From the delicate china with beautifully painted scenes from a village to the pasiking bags and wooden scooters made through long hours by hand, Tucucan’s items will send you on journeys you won’t be taking anywhere else.
Tucucan Antiques and Furniture: The Humble Beginnings of a Beautiful Legacy
Unlike most collections, Tucucan didn’t come from someone’s great love for antiques. As with many things in life, it came from a need.
Before Tucucan came to be, its founders Mrs. Mary and Mr. Toma Ngalawen were only a humble medical aid and a shopkeeper selling vinyl records respectively. They led a simple life as can be. However, disaster would lead them to lose almost everything. So they went searching for something to start with. And what Mrs. Ngalawen found were baskets.
In the beginning, she would sell other people’s handwoven baskets and earn a commission from them. But soon enough, she found that she was selling more and more than she expected and could get in one day. So the couple decided to start their own business. From there, they slowly got into the world of indigenous crafts and antiquities and Tucucan was born.
Years later, the couple would be jetting off worldwide, delivering indigenous crafts, antiquities, tools, and furniture to various museums, schools, collectors, and institutions. They’d be sought after by high-profile buyers and their items would be seen and appreciated by hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world.
The couple was even given special honors abroad because of their contributions to cultural preservation and awareness. And each time, they graced the stages proudly donning their very own cultural attires.
The past may not have always been kind to the couple. But it has paved the way for an extraordinary life for them – one that is filled with surprises, adventure, and comfort.
The most important thing that never changed for them no matter where they went, however, is their respect for the past. They painted stories with their antiques and they made sure that these stories were told and respected. They took items that would have otherwise been washed away over time and gave them a place in history. And this legacy is what will take Tucucan to the future.
Tucucan Today
Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Ngalawen have amassed a huge collection of indigenous furniture, tools, and items that would soon grow out of production. Unfortunately, some of these items, especially a few in their showroom at Pinget, Baguio City are not for sale because they’re the only remaining items of their kind. These include Pasiking bags in unique styles that are out of production and a long wooden plank for hanging pots made from the whole trunk of a tree.
One of the biggest reasons that these items can’t be replicated anymore is the lack of supply of the materials needed to make them. The modern world, with all its technological advancements, no longer has the resources for them. So while there are still a few skilled crafters and artisans who know how to create these items the traditional way, they aren’t able to make them anymore.
Despite that, Tucucan’s showrooms and shops continue to fill up more and more with relics from the past that deserve a place in the present.
For other items that aren’t produced here in the Cordilleras, like weaved rattan sala sets, Tucucan outsources them from all over the country. They partner up with artisans and crafters from Ilocos, La Union, and more to make these items, and then, they deliver them to their waiting customers.
Mr. and Mrs. Ngalawen’s son, John, also repairs and flips old furniture pieces and items, some that cannot be used as they were before. He breathes new life into them so they could find other purposes in new homes. In addition to that, he also designs and customizes furniture. He sometimes draws inspiration from traditional designs and other times, he mixes and matches various designs to create a unique item you won’t find anywhere else.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Ngalawen continues to collect smaller items to display at her shop in Maharlika. Her collection includes everything from fine china art pieces, plates, and vases to Cordilleran necklaces made out of animal bones and Cordilleran traditional bead necklaces.
Tucucan: A Safekeeper of the Past
In one display case of Tucucan’s showrooms and shops, you might see tiny little soldier figurines in red. In another, you might find some of the oldest coins in Philippine history. Move to another corner of the showroom and you’ll see beautiful pictures painted in the old doors of old rice granaries. Look closer and you might even see some World War II memorabilia.
To some of us, these things might not matter. They’re relics. They belong to another time. But in the homes of the right people, these items become lifelong treasures. And Mrs. Ngalawen and her family ensure that they find their place.
Whenever you pass by Tucucan’s showrooms and shops, something might draw you in. It might be the array of obscure items you’ve never seen before, it might be the urge to explore, or it might even be just your gut. No matter what it is that draws you in, you’ll come out with the same things: a touch of the past and maybe even a story. And no matter if you buy a tiny trinket or a vintage chandelier, you will help continue Tucucan’s legacy of bridging the past to the future.
As Tucucan’s story has proven, pieces of the past are crucial to moving forward to a brighter future.