Page 82 - Ming Porcelain Sothebys march 2018

80 SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK 20 MARCH 2018 MING: LUMINOUS DAWN OF EMPIRE

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The present ewer was collected in China during the late Qing period and is part of
a collection formed by by two of the most in# uential Germans living and working ͉ۜੂడ̈ІɓԸ๕ᜑႺٙʕ਷ᖵஔۜޜ
in Tianjin in the late 19th century: Gustav Detring (1842-1913) and his son-in-law ᔛfϤޜᔛණϓ׵ૉ૶ࣛಂdᔛ࢕ɗɤɘ
Constantin von Hanneken (1854-1925) (" g. 1). Individually both men operated at ˰ߏɨ̒໢ί˂ݵ௰ՈᅂᚤɢٙՇЗᅃ਷
the highest levels of the Qing bureaucracy and played historically signi" cant roles ɛ{{ᅃᆪ೙€Gustav Detring 1842 1913
in the politics, diplomacy and military of the tumultuous late Qing period. ʿՉɾథဏॶ࣬€Constantin von Hanneken
1854 1925€ྡɓfՇЗʱйί૶ִ݁௰
GUSTAV DETRING $1842%1913& ৷ᛆɢዚ࿴ዄ΂ࠅᔖdί҅ැਗጺٙૉ૶ࣛ
ಂ׵ʕ਷݁طe̮ʹձࠏԫഃჯਹҲစə฽
Born in the Northern Rhine-Westphalia, Gustav Detring (" g. 2) moved to China ՉࠠࠅٙԉЍf
in 1865 to join the Customs Service, working under Sir Robert Hart, Inspector
General of the Imperial Maritime Customs Service. By 1872 Detring had risen to ᅃᆪ೙€1842 1913
become a Customs Commissioner in Tianjin and, six years later was appointed to
ᅃᆪ೙€ྡɚ̈͛׵ᅃ਷̏௅ഺত ۾౶तͽ
serve as the private and trusted advisor to Viceroy Li Hongzhang, a position he
лԭd׵1865ϋ୅֢ʕ਷dίऎᗫᐼ೼ਕ̡Ⴚ
held for twenty seven years. During his time in China, Detring rose to have one of
ᅃᐌɻ€Sir Robert Hartٙ˓ɨʈЪf1872
the most senior positions in the Qing bureaucracy, including in the Zongli Yamen ϋᅃᆪ೙ක֐Զᔖ˂ݵऎᗫ೼ਕ̡dʬϋܝd
(Foreign Ministry) and as Commissioner for the Northern Ports. His achievements ஗։΂މᐼຖҽᒿ௝ٙӷɛፋڦᚥਪdԨዄ
in China are nothing short of staggering. He negotiated a series of treaties and ΂Ϥᔖਕڗ༺ɚɤɖϋʘɮfᅃᆪ೙ίʕ਷ಂ
trade agreements on behalf of the Chinese government; was used by Li during ගdಀ΂ᔖ׵ᐼଣ໺ژ€̮ʹ௅˸ʿ̏˙ಥ
various diplomatic missions in the 1870s-80s; and was relied upon to deal with ɹ೼ਕ̡dޫ᙮૶ִ݁௰৷ᛆɢዚ࿴f˼ίʕ
German arms manufacturers and in hiring military experts. During the Sino- ਷՟੻ٙϓఱڢ੬ɛהঐdʑঐՙ൳̈଺f̈
Japanese War, an Imperial edict ordered Detring ‘to proceed to Japan to e! ect a ׵ҽᒿ௝ٙڦ΂d˼ί1870Ց1880ϋ˾ʘග
˾ڌ૶ִ݁ਞၾəεධ̮ʹૢߒձ൱׸՘֛ٙ
settlement’. In 1896, Detring was conferred with Dingdaihauling ‘Rank One’ by the
ሔкdԨ˲Όᛆࠋபၾᅃ਷ࠏ˦ਠʹ׸ʿ྇඿
Dowager Empress Cixi, making him the highest ranking Westerner in China, as
ࠏԫਖ਼࢕f͠ʹ኷نࣛಂd˼ւϙۃֻ˚͉ᙄ
memorialized by a painting at the Astor Hotel in Tianjin (" g. 3).
ձf1896ϋdฉᐤ˄Χબʚᅃᆪ೙ɓۜ௟Ꮦڀ
୥dԴ˼ϓމ຅ಃ֜მ௰৷ٙݱɛf˂ݵлන
Detring’s contributions to Tianjin - the city he made his home - were no less
ᅃɽඵֳʫᘔનٙɓషذ೥༉୚ٙা༱ഹவ΅
commendable: he founded Tianjin University, co-published the Chinese Times,
࿲ᘴ€ྡɧf
constructed the Tianjin racecourse, paved the roads of the foreign settlement, and
was instrumental in the construction of the City Hall, named ‘Gordon Hall’ after ᅃᆪ೙˸˂ݵމ࢕dԨމ˂ݵਂ̈əܘεࠠ
Charles ‘Chinese’ Gordon. At the time of his death in 1913, a Chinese newspaper ࠅ্ᘠf˼௴ͭə˂ݵɽኪeΥ፬əʕ਷ࣛ
wrote: “His In# uence upon the permanent prosperity of [Tianjin] is incalculable. జ‘eܔி˂ݵᒄ৵༸eίॡޢή቗༩eࡌܔ
We can hardly " nd a stage of public life in our present society which has not been ̹ ݁ ᝂdԨ ˸ ߵ ਷ ࠏ ֜ ݟ ଣ · ఐ ط ·ˑ ೮
associated with the great and valuable contribution made by Detring.”