The Southwestern University Museum in Cebu City houses the Dr. Lydia Aznar-Alfonso's rare collection, which has been kept for around 30 years with the aim of preserving Cebu's rich cultural heritage.

The museum's collection dates back from prehistoric to Hispanic times. It composed of iron-age pottery excavated both in the province and its neighboring islands, ceramics such as rare celadon and a magnificent blue-and-white collection, in particular a Yuan bowl, one of just three early blue-and-white extra large bowls that have been found in the Philippines.

Also, the museum exhibits burial jars, boat coffins, death masks in gold, trade pottery (from China, Cambodia and Vietnam), gold teeth peggings, excavated trade beads and ancient gold jewelry. It also houses Hispanic cultural and religious artifacts like furniture, baroque ivory Santos, and heirloom jewelry.

There is also a display of paintings, from the most primitive religious art of the 18th century to the visual arts of Cebuano artists of the last 50 years. Included here is the actual exhibit of the virtual display of Cebu Artists Inc., the first art association in the Philippines to set up an online art gallery.

There is also a Filipiniana Library and Research Center that holds a collection of vintage books, ethnographic collection, rare postcards and other resources.

The Museum is located along Urgello private Road in Cebu City and it opens to the public from 10:00a.m. to 12: noon, and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday while the Filipiniana Research Center is open from Monday to Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00p.m.

Source:

The Southern University Musuem