Page 164 - Bonham's Asian Art London November 2015

392 392
A BLUE SILK GROUND EMBROIDERED
393 WOMAN’S SURCOAT
162 | BONHAMS Early 19th century
Finely embroidered with five-claw dragon
roundels and an elaborate wave design at
the hem with pavilions, bats, bamboo and
peach trees, the garment altered at the
neckline into a dressing gown, with additional
sleeves embellished with dragon roundels and
applique Buddhist lion roundels. 94cm (37in)
long

£1,000 - 1,500
CNY9,700 - 15,000
HK$12,000 - 18,000

Provenance
Collection of General James (John) Farrell
Pennycuick (1829-1888), and thence by
descent.

James Pennycuick entered the Royal Artillery
as a second lieutenant before serving in
the Crimean War, fighting in the battle of
Inkerman in 1854, and helping relieve the
siege of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion
of 1857. In 1860 he travelled to China with
Anglo-French forces and fought in the Third
Battle of the Dagu Forts. This was one of the
last engagements of the Second Opium War;
Beijing was occupied shortly after and the
Qing court forced to ratify the Treaty of Tianjin.
On a disastrous journey home to England
Pennycuick’s ship was wrecked and out of all
the mementos brought back from China the
present lot was the sole item saved.

393
AN EMBROIDERED BLUE SATIN RABBIT
FUR-LINED WOMAN’S COAT
Late Qing Dynasty
With central opening, the blue satin
embroidered with bouquets of flowers, the
hems with typical applied decorative borders,
the interior entirely lined in white rabbit fur,
with generous fur collar and cuffs.
113cm (44 1/2in) high

£1,000 - 1,500
CNY9,700 - 15,000
HK$12,000 - 18,000