Birthday Celebration / Naval Commisioner

Details

ANONYMOUS (19TH CENTURY)
Birthday Celebration / Naval Commisioner
Birthday Celebration inscribed by Li Hui (d. 1853), with one seal
Naval Commissioner inscribed by Sun Yunhong (19th century), with one seal
Both paintings are dated siyou year of the Daoguang period (1849)
Two scrolls, both mounted and framed, ink and colour on silk
40 x 65 3/8 in. (99 x 166 cm.) (each)
(2)

Provenance

Private English collection

Special notice

Specified lots (sold and unsold) marked with a filled square ( ¦ ) not collected from Christie’s, 8 King Street, London SW1Y 6QT by 5.00pm on the day of the sale will, at our option, be removed to Crozier Park Royal (details below). Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite.If the lot is transferred to Crozier Park Royal, it will be available for collection from 12.00pm on the second business day following the sale.Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crozier Park Royal. All collections from Crozier Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only.Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com.If the lot remains at Christie’s, 8 King Street, it will be available for collection on any working day (not weekends) from 9.00am to 5.00pm

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Kate Hunt Director, Head of Department

khunt@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7752 3389

Lot Essay

These paintings were both commissioned by Qing officials in China in 1849. The inscriber of Birthday Celebration, Li Hui (d. 1853) is recorded among the exemplary biographies in the Official History of the Qing Dynasty. His resistance against the forces of the Taiping Rebellion was particularly noted, receiving praise from the Xianfeng Emperor. He died in service against the rebellion in 1853 (Qingshi Gao, Liezhuan 212). The inscriber of Naval Commissioner, Sun Yunhong, identifies himself in his inscription as a naval official.

Both paintings contain strikingly individualised portraits of their central figures, set within broader narrative scenes. The careful attention to skin tone and bone structure in the faces of the figures illustrates a synergy of European and Chinese modes, typical of elite commissions of the period.

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