Lot Essay
Chinnery arrived in Macao in 1825, where he remained until his death.
The present lot depicts the A-Ma Temple, situated on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula, it is one of the oldest and most famous temples in Macao. Built in 1488, the temple is dedicated to the goddess of seafarers and fishermen. The name Macao is thought to be derived from that of the temple. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied "A-Ma-Gao" (Bay of A-Ma).
In the top right-hand corner of the drawing an example of Chinnery's shorthand can be seen. He used a cross (+) to mark those works he liked and wished to use again, and an 'X' to identify those in which he was less pleased. Chinnery adhered to the common 18th-century system of shorthand devised by Thomas Gurney (1705-1770), who published his work on the subject in 1850.
The present lot depicts the A-Ma Temple, situated on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula, it is one of the oldest and most famous temples in Macao. Built in 1488, the temple is dedicated to the goddess of seafarers and fishermen. The name Macao is thought to be derived from that of the temple. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied "A-Ma-Gao" (Bay of A-Ma).
In the top right-hand corner of the drawing an example of Chinnery's shorthand can be seen. He used a cross (+) to mark those works he liked and wished to use again, and an 'X' to identify those in which he was less pleased. Chinnery adhered to the common 18th-century system of shorthand devised by Thomas Gurney (1705-1770), who published his work on the subject in 1850.