Page 97 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

3021 Continued
Gustav Detring (1842-1913) and Constantin von Hanneken (1855-1925) ऒᙱ౲ഏ Ĥ㲮Ĥᇪ∄⇁ ⯝ा೥ீӭ Ĥ㲮Ĥᶴ⡢ᡜ
were important figures during the late Qing period, particularly from ἃԋஇᛮ᳖㞒㇝՞⁒卿ཝᙻ ⯍ ჺឆ㧿ǯՀ՞୬
1895 to 1911. Given their great contributions to diplomacy and the ⯝ឪ㻜⛌㨸ؠ༗ߏ卿ᙻംՒࣿ㕘Կӳ㏐℣ࢴ㑘ǯᛓ։ᐽ৅ᥑᝳज⬒ἃ׹
military during the tumultuous late Qing period, the present lot is very
likely to have been a gift from the Qing court. ⯇༈ᅡ⎏㐃㐁ǯ
Gustav Detring was born in Jülich, Germany. He first joined the ᇪ∄⇁⊂ᙻᇪஇᙻߧႱǯ ჺջݎ࠼ݣԋஇᱡ㨸卿ӻᙻԋஇഅٖఉႪ
Chinese Maritime Customs Service in the 1860s and later served in ᗇ֌അٖ㇝⪰卿 ჺᇌԿ᥉ᝤ㇦㵶࿨卿㩶֌ែᱡ㨸☲तം卿Քഌई
different posts across multiple cities in China. In 1878, his career took ᛮ᳖㞒⯀ឪ㻜⛌Ꮢ㞒⊇ǯձ᳅ᇑឪ㻜⛌ؼ֌⩧ᇑսࣻ⯝ԋஇഅ㮴ംՒԿ
a significant step forward. He was appointed Director of the Chinese
Maritime Customs Service and became the private advisor to Viceroy Li ࡞卿ࡺᑐᓠ࡚ᇪஇ㕘႙᥉⯝᳖ᅡᰑ࡞᰾㧿⎏भהǯᝳ㦷ᙻ᫉卿ᇪ∄⇁ᝤ
Hongzhang (1823-1901). Detring had gained the trust of Li Hongzhang Ꮀἃԋஇ⋁ᛞ໶㪖ᝬ㵶⎏ംஇ՞ǯ
and was his confidant in financial and foreign policy matters, including
ा೥ீӭ Ĥ 㲮 Ĥ ᶴ⡢ᡜߺᙻᇪஇ⁞㞑‰߅⊂ǯձᄃԢ⛖⏌Ӭ⊂Կ᥉ᙻ
the negotiations between the Chinese court and the German military
and arms manufacturers hiring military experts. As a result of his close ԋஇǯݎᙻ ჺݣⵖ֌㕘Կᘰ໶卿ㄴᇪ∄⇁㞒⊇ᇌ卿ࣽ୬ᇪ∄⇁⯝
alliance with Li, Detring rose to be the highest-ranking westerner in ឪ㻜⛌㨸ؠ༗ߏ卿⩧ݣឪ㻜⛌Ԡრ۵ǯݎᇌᗇ֌㕘Կ㰀ਮ卿ࡂឪ㻜⛌⟏
China at that time. 㗤࢈ᰑᱡ㕘ǯ⦏Ꮀἃᇪ∄⇁⎏ഌഺดᇌ卿ݯ⯝ᇪ∄⇁Հ՞ज㋵ᛓឪ㻜⛌
Constantin von Hanneken, was born in Trier, Germany. He spent ங⽔↚ᛮ᳖☑ᐃǮ㕘ԿǮ⣌ṒǮം✙✙Կ࡞ӳᝬἃᇑ࠺⎏ႚठᏛǯݦ՞
most of his career in China. He firstly followed the direction his father ஙⵖ⎏㞒㇝᰻࡚卿ᝤἃձٛᓽ؊Ӭᢣԋஇ⻱ワ৅ᘘ⻦⎏ᝬצᒵᇎ卿‰ᇌ
wanted, joining the military for a short period. A key turning point ݯ⏟㨸ᘘ⻦ᝤᙻ།ᚉԋ᱁۔⯍իǯ
occurred in 1879, when he met Detring in China. Through his close
connection with Detring, he successfully became a military instructor ᫉≡୬ᄓ᪪ᝧ༵㰍ᡟ卿ᓠᙷݯᥑᝳज⬒ἃ㫇ǮԳჺ㧿ᜀᇪ㤯␰㪃໶৿Ⲗ
for Li Hongzhang with the Chinese rank of general: later he became an 卻 卼Ԡᦅ㪃צהǯᄓ᪪ǸԳǹໃԋսǸ⊐ǹջǸᚚǹԠ༵ᯧ卿
instructor to the navy. He married Detring’s daughter in Tianjin. These
connections enabled both Detring and Hanneken to become collectors ⋁ྏԳ㪏᚝ឆԠ⁒卿ӻഅהἃ㬪Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚଍Ԡᄓ᪪ǯऱ᪪㬪Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚଍
of Chinese artefacts and to maintain ties with China. Their collection ԋࡺᑐӬ։ӳᱡࢷ⁒㱦⻦⎏㬪Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚⃹ᶔ⥷↗ⷤ㯔≡卿ⶬᙻǶ㬪Ɽ㞏
has since been divided among their descendants. ㅞ⡚Ƿ卿㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿㮰 Ǯ Ǯࣿ 卿எ‸⤔⽚ ࣿ ǯ
☆՞ᘘ⻦ԋ卿㲞ᳰ഍ᭆ᧊ՔᝳӬ։᳖Գ㪏㬪Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚ⷤ㯔≡卿Ԇ㖊ᙻǶ഍
It is very probable that the current vase was a rare example associated
with Tang Ying (1682-1756), the influential supervisor of the Imperial ᭆ᧊⻦≢Ƿ卿ӳݺ卿㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿㮰 ࣿ 卿எ‸⤔⽚ 厎ឃ
kilns who in the 18th century revolutionised Jingdezhen’s porcelain ᛆ᧊ᘘ⻦ՔᝳӬ㯸ַ׾卿ἃӬग㬪Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚៏㾬ഌ≡卿ߒᙻǶ᳖ջᄮ㫇
production in terms of quality and style. In the early-Qianlong period, Գ໶⚨≢଍厍ឃᛆ᧊⻦≢Ƿ卿㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿㮰 卿⤔⽚ 厎⩧
under the directorship of Tang Ying at Jingdezhen, a series of porcelain ᇍཿల㬱㈊ల⯠⻦ՔᝳӬ׾㖊ᙻǶᇍ᭄⻱ワ㱦Ĥ㪃≢Ĥ᳖ջǷ卿✄ ݺ卿
wares with Qianlong six-character seal mark but slightly larger in size
and apparently incorporating the form of the Chinese character ‘you’ 㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿எ‸ 卿Ԡᇌࣽᙻ㲞ᳰצ೥ᇑ ჺ ᝲ ᚚᐽ㐈卿
⊐ in the ‘Qian’ Գ character, in place of the usual ‘ri’ ᚚ form. Very few ᐽ৅ ⽚ǯऱ㯸Ӭ։ཨ༿☸ཎ⎏㬪Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚ⷤ㯔≡Քᝪᙻ ჺ
of these vessels with this mark were produced for the court and the ᝲ ᚚᙻ㲞ᳰצ೥ᇑᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅ ⽚ǯ
current vase appears to be one of them.
㩶ӳ㘚Ԡ≡㯸଍⁒卿࢈՗ᘢ༈Ք⻦ᝳӬ։㬪Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚⸌⏁卿Ԇⶬ㢙ᙻǶ㬪
A Qianlong blue and white and underglaze-red garlic-head vase of
very similar decoration from the Shanghai Museum was illustrated Ɽ㞏ㅞ⡚Ƿ卿Ӵݺ卿㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿㮰 卿எ‸⤔⽚ ǯ
in Underglaze Blue and Red, Hong Kong, 1987, pp. 129, 190 and 243,
pls. 126 and 190. Three closely related examples have been published:
one is from the Tianminlou Collection, which is illustrated in Chinese
Porcelain: The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, vol. I, Hong Kong, 1987, pp.
155 and 157, pl. 113; one is from the Wang Xing Lou Collection, which is
published in Imperial Perfection: The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese
Emperors-A Selection from the Wang Xing Lou Collection, Hong Kong,
2004, pp. 84-85, no. 27; and one from the Jingguantang Collection,
which is depicted in The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics: Qing
Dynasty, vol. IV, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 85 and later offered at Christies’
Hong Kong, 5 November 1997, lot 884. A smaller vase of this design
was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 8 October 1990, lot 482.
Also, from the Palace Museum, Beijing, a blue and white and
underglaze-red seal box and cover bearing the same style of mark and
related to the current example, is illustrated in Qinghua youlihong, Part
III, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 235, no. 214.

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