CHINESE SCHOOL, 18th CENTURY An album of Chinese watercolours of fish. [n.p. but ?Canton: n.d. but three leaves watermarked 1794]. 4 (317 x 252mm). 101 FINE WATER- AND BODYCOLOUR DRAWINGS of fish, 15 double-page, 3 leaves folded, 24 on thin chinese paper mounted (all but one of these identified, in chinese characters), 77 on western woven or laid paper, all but seven of the these identified in pencil by a later western hand, most of these with additional notes. (8 of the drawings on thin Chinese paper with old damp damage, occasional oxidisation of silver pigment.) 19th century English red half morocco, the spine in six compartments with raised bands, titled 'Chinese Drawings of Fish' in gilt in the second, the others with a repeat pattern of fish and fishing equipment tolled in gilt, t.e.g. (extremities scuffed). A FINE COLLECTION OF CHINESE NATURAL HISTORY STUDIES OF FISH. The subjects include a number of fish with their irridescent bodies depicted using a form of liquid silver pigment overpainted with appropriate colours. The species include flat-fish, perch, eels, carp and numerous forms of cat-fish. The collection is an early example of what became a well established tradition of almost exclusively anonymous Chinese artists, in and around the coastal trading ports, producing work for western consumption, and more particularly for the members of the East India and Dutch East India Companies. The album was probably assembled in the early 19th century from two separate collections, with the drawings on western paper, all dating from 1794 and slightly later, forming one group, and the drawings on Chinese paper forming a second earlier corpus: most later drawings were produced on western paper supplied to the artists. That the tradition required the artists to produce work to order, working from master-copies (see the near-duplication of the 11th and 12th sheets of drawings) does not detract from the high quality of draughtsmanship, and the double-page leaves showing the larger specimens give the appearance of being portraits of individuals rather than mere patterns for a species.
CHINESE SCHOOL, 18th CENTURY An album of Chinese watercolours of fish. [n.p. but ?Canton: n.d. but three leaves watermarked 1794]. 4 (317 x 252mm). 101 FINE WATER- AND BODYCOLOUR DRAWINGS of fish, 15 double-page, 3 leaves folded, 24 on thin chinese paper mounted (all but one of these identified, in chinese characters), 77 on western woven or laid paper, all but seven of the these identified in pencil by a later western hand, most of these with additional notes. (8 of the drawings on thin Chinese paper with old damp damage, occasional oxidisation of silver pigment.) 19th century English red half morocco, the spine in six compartments with raised bands, titled 'Chinese Drawings of Fish' in gilt in the second, the others with a repeat pattern of fish and fishing equipment tolled in gilt, t.e.g. (extremities scuffed). A FINE COLLECTION OF CHINESE NATURAL HISTORY STUDIES OF FISH. The subjects include a number of fish with their irridescent bodies depicted using a form of liquid silver pigment overpainted with appropriate colours. The species include flat-fish, perch, eels, carp and numerous forms of cat-fish. The collection is an early example of what became a well established tradition of almost exclusively anonymous Chinese artists, in and around the coastal trading ports, producing work for western consumption, and more particularly for the members of the East India and Dutch East India Companies. The album was probably assembled in the early 19th century from two separate collections, with the drawings on western paper, all dating from 1794 and slightly later, forming one group, and the drawings on Chinese paper forming a second earlier corpus: most later drawings were produced on western paper supplied to the artists. That the tradition required the artists to produce work to order, working from master-copies (see the near-duplication of the 11th and 12th sheets of drawings) does not detract from the high quality of draughtsmanship, and the double-page leaves showing the larger specimens give the appearance of being portraits of individuals rather than mere patterns for a species.
.jpg?w=400 "Source: Christie's")
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
