Anglo-Chinese School and Japanese School, circa 1820

An Album of Watercolours of Flowers and Plants including: Trapas natans (Waterchestnut), Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily), Enkianthus campanulatus; Eriobotrys japonica (Loquat); Rosa sinensis (Chinese Rose); Mich

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Anglo-Chinese School and Japanese School, circa 1820
An Album of Watercolours of Flowers and Plants
including: Trapas natans (Waterchestnut), Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily), Enkianthus campanulatus; Eriobotrys japonica (Loquat); Rosa sinensis (Chinese Rose); Michelia figo; Magnolia denudata (Magnolia); Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus); Annona muricata (Sour Sop); Clerodendrum fortunatum; Clitoria ternata; Croton; Dospyros (Persimmon) illustrated (b), Ficus (Fig); Dicentra (Bleeding Hearts); Pinus (Pine), Nerium oleander (Oleander); Rosa sinensis cultiva (Chinese Rose); Jasminium bifarium (Wild Jasmin); Hibiscus; Limododrum (Orchid); Albizzia myriophylla (Fritollaria); Prunus (Cherry Blossom); Hibiscus rosa-sinensis; Rhododendron; Malus sylvestris (Apple Blossom) illustrated (a); Tigrida (Spotted Lily); Hemerocallis (Lily); and Euphorbia caea
the majority inscribed with the Latin names (lower edge), 13 inscribed with Chinese characters
pencil on tracing paper
(20), pen and ink (2), pencil and watercolour, heightened with white, some with gum arabic (27), on fine paper laid at the corners on the pages of the album, the binding quarter green morocco, gilt-tooled spine, red morocco lettering-piece, 49 watercolours tipped to the pages of the album
16½ x 14 in. (41.9 x 35.6 cm.); and smaller; the album 16 x 19¼ in. (40.6 x 48.9 cm.), overall (49)

Lot Essay

There are a number of Japanese and Chinese plants illustrated in the present album. Half of the watercolours are identified with the Chinese names in English and the others in Chinese characters. Some of the compositions are similar to those in the Reeves albums (see lot 23), and the Magnolia painted by a Japanese artist is identical to that in the albums included in both lot 23 and lot 24; see B. Elliot, Treasures of the Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1994, p. 100, pl. 39.

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