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'India House is bound by every tradition with the adventurers of all ages who went down to the sea in ships.'Christie’s is honored to sell the art collection of India House, a private club that has been a fixture of downtown Manhattan since the early twentieth century. The Club’s Renaissance-style building was constructed by builder Richard Carman after the fire of 1835. Previously housing Hanover Bank, Maitland and Company, the New York Cotton Exchange and W.R. Grace and Company, the edifice has remained essentially unchanged since its construction. Founded in 1914 by James A. Farrell and Willard Straight, India House was conceived as a meeting place for those interested in foreign trade and its name paid homage to the Dutch West India Company, the first colonizers of Manhattan. Farrell and Straight envisioned that “New York should have a place, maritime in spirt, purpose and atmosphere, where those interested in rebuilding a merchant marine worthy of America could meet.” In this vein, many leaders in foreign trade and worldwide commerce have since gathered at India House, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., James Byrnes, W. Averell Harriman, George C. Marshall, Henry Cabot Lodge and Cyrus Vance. Their meetings were held alongside India House’s world-class collection of maritime art and objects. First begun by Dorothy Whitney and Willard Straight, the art collection grew to encompass marine pictures, model ships, maritime relics and Chinese works of art, which gave the club its stately atmosphere and reminded members and guests of its purpose. For more information, see A Descriptive Catalogue of the Marine Collection to be Found at India House (New York, 1935). The following paintings were all acquired by India House co-founder Willard Straight. Willard Straight was a significant figure in the establishment of American business interests in China at the beginning of the 20th century. After graduating from Cornell in 1901, Straight began his career in East Asia when he accepted a position in Nanjing with the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service. In 1906, at age 26, Straight was appointed consul general at Mukden in Manchuria, China. When that appointment ended, he spent a number of years in Beijing and the United States working for various business interests, finally returning to the United States in 1912. It was during Straight's time in China that he acquired this group of paintings. PROPERTY FROM THE INDIA HOUSE CLUB COLLECTION, NEW YORK
TWO LARGE SILK PAINTINGS OF DAOIST IMMORTALS
LATE MING-QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Details
TWO LARGE SILK PAINTINGS OF DAOIST IMMORTALS
LATE MING-QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Each painting depicts three groupings of immortals, one with sixteen immortals with three attendants, the other with nineteen immortals, all standing amongst scrolling clouds, wearing long robes and with distinctive individual faces.
81 ½ x 44 ½ and 68 ½ x 38 ½ in. (207 x 113 and 174 x 97.8 cm.), including frames
LATE MING-QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Each painting depicts three groupings of immortals, one with sixteen immortals with three attendants, the other with nineteen immortals, all standing amongst scrolling clouds, wearing long robes and with distinctive individual faces.
81 ½ x 44 ½ and 68 ½ x 38 ½ in. (207 x 113 and 174 x 97.8 cm.), including frames
Provenance
Willard D. Straight (1880-1918) Collection, acquired before 1914.
Brought to you by
Vicki Paloympis (潘薇琦)
Head of Department, VP, Specialist