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Lot Essay
The main inscription, and repeated on the seal chop, refers to 'The Thatched Cottage of the South River'. This is the studio name of the Sheng family of Wujin (present-day Changzhou, Jiangsu province). As indicated by the signature this seal was carved by Yilu in Shanghai, in the Dingchou year (1877).
A key figure of the Sheng family, one of the most influential in Shanghai at the turn of the 19th century, is Sheng Xuanhuai (1844-1916). An official and entrepreneur during the last years of the Qing dynasty, Sheng was in charge of the early industrialization of China particularly nationalising the railways. He later joined the staff of General Li Hongzhang (1823-1901), and was responsible for controlling the operations of the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company.
A key figure of the Sheng family, one of the most influential in Shanghai at the turn of the 19th century, is Sheng Xuanhuai (1844-1916). An official and entrepreneur during the last years of the Qing dynasty, Sheng was in charge of the early industrialization of China particularly nationalising the railways. He later joined the staff of General Li Hongzhang (1823-1901), and was responsible for controlling the operations of the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company.