CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, XVIIIEME-XIXEME SIECLE

This kind of portraits were meritorious servitor's portraits and were, as under Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795), given to brave soldiers as a gift commemorating militaries succesfull campaigns of the Emperor. Some of those paintings, made in groups, were full lenght paintings. It is the case of a portrait of Moer Gen Batulu Daketana, imperial guard of the first rank inscribed by Qianlong Emperor himself, sold in our Hong Kong Rooms, 29th April 2001, lot 580. One example of this group of paintings is kept in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The official's winter hat of the current portrait with this kind of knob might indicates that it represents a sixth-rank official of the Qing dynasty's court. Moreover the peacock feather attachment (hualing) was given as a special distinction by the Emperor. A single-eye feather was confered upon nobles and officials down to the sixth-rank. Compare this hat with a hat from the Powerhouse Museum Collection, ref.H7958, gift of Mrs R.D.Conacher 1966, Sydney, Australia.