[CHINA — COMPANY SCHOOL] An Album of Original Chinese Watercolors of Flowering Plants. [China: early 19th century] Folio (14 1/2 x 11 in. 368 x 279 mm). 30 watercolors on native paper, a few lettered in Chinese characters; one or two stray spots, very minor toning. Expertly bound to style in full green straight-grained morocco, covers with an elaborate wide gilt border, spines in six compartments with double raised bands, lettered in the second compartment, the others with an overall repeat decoration in gilt. A striking collection of watercolors of flowering trees and plants Beginning in the 1790s and centered in Canton, there existed a thriving trade in botanical watercolors executed by Chinese artists for the Western merchants and sailors who traded through the treaty port. Known as the Company School (after the East India Company merchants for whom these were originally made), the watercolors collected in this album are of remarkable quality. The present works include a blend of Eastern exotics, as well as representations of peonies, lilies, roses and other flowering varieties. Most are captioned in Chinese characters in the lower left corner.
[CHINA — COMPANY SCHOOL] An Album of Original Chinese Watercolors of Flowering Plants. [China: early 19th century] Folio (14 1/2 x 11 in. 368 x 279 mm). 30 watercolors on native paper, a few lettered in Chinese characters; one or two stray spots, very minor toning. Expertly bound to style in full green straight-grained morocco, covers with an elaborate wide gilt border, spines in six compartments with double raised bands, lettered in the second compartment, the others with an overall repeat decoration in gilt. A striking collection of watercolors of flowering trees and plants Beginning in the 1790s and centered in Canton, there existed a thriving trade in botanical watercolors executed by Chinese artists for the Western merchants and sailors who traded through the treaty port. Known as the Company School (after the East India Company merchants for whom these were originally made), the watercolors collected in this album are of remarkable quality. The present works include a blend of Eastern exotics, as well as representations of peonies, lilies, roses and other flowering varieties. Most are captioned in Chinese characters in the lower left corner.
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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Create an alert![[CHINA — COMPANY SCHOOL] | An Album of Original Chinese Watercolors of...](https://sothebys-md.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/88ed743/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1521x2000+0+0/resize/385x506!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsothebys-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fmedia-desk%2Fdd%2F66%2Fda6eeeac4f79a84c695da244e308%2F907n10173-bfmw6.jpg "Source: Sotheby's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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