Page 38 - Bonhams, Asian Art, London, Montpilier St, May 10, 2021

The Property of a

European Noble Family

Lots 99-116

Provenance
Francesco Maria, Marchese Taliani de Marchio (1887 - 1968), Grand Sent to China in 1938 as Ambassador to the Nationalist Government
Officer of the Italian Crown, Commander of the Order of St Maurice of Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing, he became an acute - and far from
and Lazarus, and Commander of the Order of Pius IX (Ordine Piano), humourless, despite the hardships of everyday life - front line
and his wife Archduchess Margaretha d’Austria Toscana, Marchesa eye-witness of the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which the
Taliani de Marchio (1894–1986). Japanese forces captured the capital and attacked Shanghai. When
Mussolini recognised Wang Jingwei’s Japanese puppet government,
Marchese Taliani was a distinguished Italian diplomat who lived Taliani presented his credentials to him. On 8 September 1943,
through major historical upheavals of the first half of the 20th century, having refused to swear allegiance to the Italian Social Republic
events whose impact affect all to this day. His first diplomatic (Republic of Salò), he and his wife, the Archduchess Margaretha
appointment was to Berlin in 1912; followed by Constantinople in d’Austria Toscana (1894-1986), were arrested and interned by
1913, where during the First World War he negotiated an agreement the Japanese in a concentration camp near Shanghai, where they
for the protection of Italian citizens and interests in the (soon to be remained for two years until the end of the war. After the end of
partitioned) Ottoman Empire. From 1916 to 1919 he served in St hostilities, the new government of Alcide De Gasperi reconfirmed him
Petersburg, and under the privilege of diplomatic immunity was in as Ambassador to China until 1946.
a unique position to observe and chronicle first-hand the October
Revolution, its day by day development, the subsequent fall of Tsarist Marchese Taliani published three books: Pietrogrado 1917, Milan,
Russia and the establishment of the Soviet Republic; from 1919 1935; È Morto in Cina, Milan, 1949; and Dopoguerra a Shanghai,
he served in Rome as Secretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Milan, 1958.
Affairs; with later assignments to London (1921 - 1923) and again to
Constantinople (1924–1928), this time as the Republic of Turkey; from
1929 - 1930 he was in Rome as Head of Protocol of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs; in 1932 he was appointed Italian Ambassador to the
Netherlands; in 1938 he was appointed Ambassador to China, where
he remained until 1946; and his last diplomatic appointment was in
1951 as Ambassador to Spain until 1952.

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