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Lot Essay
COROMANDEL LACQUER
The term 'Coromandel lacquer' was originally coined for this type of Chinese lacquer by Europeans, who mistakenly thought that it originated from the Indian Coromandel Coast a result of its passing through the trading ports there en route to the West. This exotic, colourful lacquer-work offered great contrast to the decorative work available in Europe during the 17th century and quickly gained popularity. One British East India Company letter of 24 May 1690 gives some indication of the scale of demand for these exquisite new wares ‘...Of this size 500 tables, 200 black & gold, 200 red & gold, drawn with Birds; & 100 black, inlayed with mother of pearl with Figures’ (M. Jourdain and R.S. Jenyns, Chinese Export Art, p. 69). It was highly sought after by noble patrons, and in some cases entire rooms were lined with screen panels. One such room was the State Closet at Chatsworth, Derbyshire, which was installed in the 1690s by the royal cabinetmaker Gerrit Jensen (d. 1715) but which sadly does not survive. The use of it in such a high status room shows the esteem in which such lacquer was held, and the luxury its use implied. Chinese lacquer would retain its status and continue to be associated with the most sumptuous fashionable interiors and furnishings well into the second half of the 18th century and renewed fascination took hold at the end of the 19th century, with wealthy collectors seeking exotic pieces from China, Japan and Korea.
MADAME LANGWEIL
Madame Florine Langweil was a highly regarded and influential Parisian dealer of Asian works of art, who worked from 4 Boulevard Italiens and Place Saint-Georges in the 1890s, at a time when it was rare for a woman to have her own business. She gained an advantage over her competitors by sourcing works of art directly through French contacts living in China, amongst whom was a French Bishop, rather than buying stock in bulk.
Her well-honed eye and in-depth knowledge meant she was adept at selecting items for the distinctive Paris and London markets, and soon counted an impressive array of serious collectors amongst her clients and friends including Marquise de Ganay and his sister the Countess of Béhague, Gertrude Stein, Henri Rochefort and Robert de Montesquiou. Pope Pius XI also sought her advice on several pieces in the papal collection. Amusingly she is purported to have told another key client, the American financier and avid collector John Pierpont-Morgan, that he was not rich enough to purchase a superb gilt-ground screen from her stock.
Many pieces that were supplied by her can now be found in internationally renowned museums such as the Rijsmuseum and the Hermitage. In 1913 she decided to relocate to her home town in Alsace. As per her wishes upon her death at the age of 97 in 1958, her collection was dispersed at auctions held by Galerie Charpentier and Drouot in 1959.
According to family tradition this screen was purchased directly from Mme. Langweil in 1911 by Maria Luisa MacClure Edwards (1855-1926).
THE EDWARDS FAMILY, SANTIAGO, CHILE
Maria Luisa MacClure Ossandón (1855-1926) married Agustín Edwards Ross (1852-1897) thus uniting two influencial Chilean families, who had a great impact on the financial and political development of Chile from the early 19th century onwards.
The Edwards family presence in Chile can be traced to the British doctor George Edwards who married Chilean Isabel Ossandón e Iribárren in 1806. The most influential and successful of their children, Agustín settled in Valparaiso in 1850 and founded the bank A. Edwards; other sons had successful mining businesses and also embarked upon careers in politics.
Agustín Edwards Ross (1852-1897) is most famous for founding the national newspaper El Mecurio in Valparaiso and was later senator. His eldest son, also Agustín Edwards MacClure Ross (1878-1941) was plenipotiary to Great Britain in 1910-1920. It was another of his sons, Carlos Ricardo Edwards Ross (1880-?) and his wife Margarita (Margot) Mackenna Eyzaguirre, who apparently inherited this screen upon his mother's death. They resided in one of Santiago's grand palacios, Casa Edwards Mackenna, Alameda 2143. Agustín and Carlos' sister Maria Edwards MacClure (1893-1972) emigrated to Paris and it is possible that she provided the link to Madame Langweil, from whom the screen is said to have been purchased directly in 1911.
The term 'Coromandel lacquer' was originally coined for this type of Chinese lacquer by Europeans, who mistakenly thought that it originated from the Indian Coromandel Coast a result of its passing through the trading ports there en route to the West. This exotic, colourful lacquer-work offered great contrast to the decorative work available in Europe during the 17th century and quickly gained popularity. One British East India Company letter of 24 May 1690 gives some indication of the scale of demand for these exquisite new wares ‘...Of this size 500 tables, 200 black & gold, 200 red & gold, drawn with Birds; & 100 black, inlayed with mother of pearl with Figures’ (M. Jourdain and R.S. Jenyns, Chinese Export Art, p. 69). It was highly sought after by noble patrons, and in some cases entire rooms were lined with screen panels. One such room was the State Closet at Chatsworth, Derbyshire, which was installed in the 1690s by the royal cabinetmaker Gerrit Jensen (d. 1715) but which sadly does not survive. The use of it in such a high status room shows the esteem in which such lacquer was held, and the luxury its use implied. Chinese lacquer would retain its status and continue to be associated with the most sumptuous fashionable interiors and furnishings well into the second half of the 18th century and renewed fascination took hold at the end of the 19th century, with wealthy collectors seeking exotic pieces from China, Japan and Korea.
MADAME LANGWEIL
Madame Florine Langweil was a highly regarded and influential Parisian dealer of Asian works of art, who worked from 4 Boulevard Italiens and Place Saint-Georges in the 1890s, at a time when it was rare for a woman to have her own business. She gained an advantage over her competitors by sourcing works of art directly through French contacts living in China, amongst whom was a French Bishop, rather than buying stock in bulk.
Her well-honed eye and in-depth knowledge meant she was adept at selecting items for the distinctive Paris and London markets, and soon counted an impressive array of serious collectors amongst her clients and friends including Marquise de Ganay and his sister the Countess of Béhague, Gertrude Stein, Henri Rochefort and Robert de Montesquiou. Pope Pius XI also sought her advice on several pieces in the papal collection. Amusingly she is purported to have told another key client, the American financier and avid collector John Pierpont-Morgan, that he was not rich enough to purchase a superb gilt-ground screen from her stock.
Many pieces that were supplied by her can now be found in internationally renowned museums such as the Rijsmuseum and the Hermitage. In 1913 she decided to relocate to her home town in Alsace. As per her wishes upon her death at the age of 97 in 1958, her collection was dispersed at auctions held by Galerie Charpentier and Drouot in 1959.
According to family tradition this screen was purchased directly from Mme. Langweil in 1911 by Maria Luisa MacClure Edwards (1855-1926).
THE EDWARDS FAMILY, SANTIAGO, CHILE
Maria Luisa MacClure Ossandón (1855-1926) married Agustín Edwards Ross (1852-1897) thus uniting two influencial Chilean families, who had a great impact on the financial and political development of Chile from the early 19th century onwards.
The Edwards family presence in Chile can be traced to the British doctor George Edwards who married Chilean Isabel Ossandón e Iribárren in 1806. The most influential and successful of their children, Agustín settled in Valparaiso in 1850 and founded the bank A. Edwards; other sons had successful mining businesses and also embarked upon careers in politics.
Agustín Edwards Ross (1852-1897) is most famous for founding the national newspaper El Mecurio in Valparaiso and was later senator. His eldest son, also Agustín Edwards MacClure Ross (1878-1941) was plenipotiary to Great Britain in 1910-1920. It was another of his sons, Carlos Ricardo Edwards Ross (1880-?) and his wife Margarita (Margot) Mackenna Eyzaguirre, who apparently inherited this screen upon his mother's death. They resided in one of Santiago's grand palacios, Casa Edwards Mackenna, Alameda 2143. Agustín and Carlos' sister Maria Edwards MacClure (1893-1972) emigrated to Paris and it is possible that she provided the link to Madame Langweil, from whom the screen is said to have been purchased directly in 1911.