$113,400
Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000
Auction: October 14, 2021 11:00:00 AM EDT
Ink and color on silk, mounted as a handscroll, inscribed and sealed as follows:
Begining of the mount:
Three seals:????(Daoguang jian shang) "Daoguang’s appreciation"; ???????? (yang zheng shu wu jian shang zhi bao) "Treasure from Yangzheng book hall’s collection"; ????(xu xin shi xing) "Be humble and steadfast"
Painting 1
????? (bai zi feng deng tu) "Abundance of One Hundred Boys"
31 7/8 in. by 10 in.
One seal upper right: ???? (Daoguang jian shang) "Daoguang’s appreciation"; another seal upper left: ?? (Qian li); Inscribed in ink on lower right, “John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860 Painted about 800. AD”
Painting 2
????? (bai he tian shou tu) "Extending Longevity with One Hundred Cranes"
32 7/8 in. by 10 in.
One seal upper left: ???? (Daoguang zhi bao) "Daoguang’s treasure"; another seal lower left; Inscribed in ink on lower right, "John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860"
Painting 3
????? (bai hua xian rui tu) "One hundred flowers bringing good fortune"
32 7/8 in. by 10 in.
One seal upper right; another seal lower right: ???? (zhao shi Qian li); Inscribed in ink on lower right, "John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860"
Painting 4
????? (bai jue mei shou tu) painting of one hundred Chinese Huamei chanting longevity
33 in. by 10 in.
One seal upper left:???? (yang zheng shu wu) “Yangzheng book hall” ; another seal lower right; Inscribed in ink on lower right, "John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860"
Painting 5
?????(bai niao chao feng tu) "One Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix"
32 5/8 in. by 10 in
One seal upper right: ?? (Daoguang); another seal central left: ?? (Qian li); Inscribed in ink lower right, "John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860"
Painting 6
????? (bai zi wan sun tu) "One Hundred Sons and Ten Thousand Grandsons" (One hundred fruits representing abundant generations)
31 7/8 in. by 10 in.
Three seals upper right; another seal lower right: ???? (zhao shi Qian li); Inscribed in ink lower right, "John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860"
Painting 7
????? (bai shou shuai wu tu) "One Hundred Beasts Dancing"
31 7/8 in. by 10 in.
One seal upper left: ???? (ri jin wu jiang) “Always improving with no limits”; another seal to lower left: ????; Inscribed in ink on lower right, "John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860"
Painting 8
????? (bai xi jie bao tu) "One Hundred Magpies Bringing Good News"
32 in. by 10 in.
One seal on upper left; another seal on lower left: ???? (zhao shi qian li)
Inscribed in ink on lower right, "John Gibson H. M. consular service 1860"
End of the mount
Two seals: ???? (Daoguang zhi bao) "Daoguang’s treasure"; ???? (Yangzheng shu wu) “Yangzheng book hall” (these appear to directly correspond to the impressions found in Guo Fuxiang, "Qing Dai Di Hou Xi Yin Pu", Volume 10, Daoguang, Palace Museum, p.22).
Property formerly in the collection of Harry J. Haon II (1901-1989), thence by descent
Haon was employed by E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and was promoted in 1954 to the Foreign Relations Department as Manager of the European Office, London, England, until his retirement in 1962. Mr. Haon continued to live part-time in London into the late 1970s. It is believed that many of the Asian arts in his collection were acquired during this time in London.
The ink inscription found on each painting likely refers to John Gibson (1834-1969), of Her Majesty's Consular Service, posted to Shanghai in 1859. Gibson took part in the 1860 campaign which culminated in the Peking Convention, and was later posted to Tientsin from 1861-1864.