Painted Fireworks Label; Tong Tai. Tukhing Street, Fatshan, Canton, China

Published by Fatshan, Canton, China, 1890

Item image 1 of 5.

Seller: White Fox Rare Books and Antiques, ABAA/ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.White Fox Rare Books and Antiques, ABAA/ILAB

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AbeBooks seller since June 4, 2009

Association member: ABAAESAPBFAILAB

Condition: Used - Very good

£ 962.39

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Item description from seller

Spectacular painted label showing a high official, his servants and perhaps his concubines. Servants include two who are fanny him and possibly a musician playing the guqin, or something akin to it -- a stringed instrument that rests typically on the player's lap as he plays. There is also a devilish figure possibly dancing to the music, and this gives the scene a decidedly fanciful dimension. The women, who we are guessing are concubines, are each doing something different. One is bowing, another, bearing drink, a third, fanning herself. All this is set among flowers and wall decoration that bring to mind the Jugendstil aesthetic or the paintings of Gustav Klimt. Perspective is essentially ignored, as in traditional Chinese painting, also adding to the unreality of the scene. Not to be slighted is the border of a cobalt blue and gilt repeat, and throughout the painting gilt is generously applied. N.d., late 19th century. These type of hand-painted labels were made between 1850 and 1910. Given the elaborate nature of this particular label, with more detail and decoration than the norm, its larger size, and the appearance of the paper, it is our sense that it would have been done neither at the very start nor the very end of the making of such labels. 33.5 by 21 cm. We are unable to read the Chinese characters, but using Google translate, if it is to be trusted, the core of the text is a recitation of verse, and not anything to do with the product or business for which the label was made, nor with the painting either, which doesn't have anything about it that suggests fireworks to us.…

Seller Inventory # 008034

Bibliographic details

Title
Painted Fireworks Label; Tong Tai. Tukhing Street, Fatshan, Canton, China
Publisher
Fatshan, Canton, China
Publication year
1890
Condition
Very Good
Binding
NA
Seller catalogs
China, Original Art

White Fox Rare Books and Antiques, ABAA/ILAB

New York, NY, U.S.A.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since June 4, 2009

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Store description

Antiquarian books of all kinds, with emphases on color plate books, decorative arts, foreign literature (German, French, Italian, Spanish), children's literature, philosophy, sporting (equine, hunting, shooting).

Specialty

Color plate books (19th century), Sporting, Philosophy, Children's literature, Other foreign literature, French literature, Italian literature, German literature, Decorative arts

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Seller's business information

White Fox Rare Books and Antiques

974 Cemetery Road
West Windsor, VT U.S.A. 05089