Property formerly in the collection of Dr. David Ho (1911-1986)
Two bronze Manchu official's seals, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period, dated 1750 | 清乾隆 1750年 銅柱鈕方印兩枚
Auction Closed
November 3, 05:23 PM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property formerly in the collection of Dr. David Ho (1911-1986)
Two bronze Manchu official's seals
Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period, dated 1750
清乾隆 1750年 銅柱鈕方印兩枚
each of rectangular form and surmounted by a tall slightly tapering cylindrical handle, incised on the top with Manchu scripts, the sides with inscriptions reading Libu zao (made by the Ministry of Rite); one inscribed to the sides with further inscriptions reading Qian zi sanqian wubao hao (Number 3500 of Qian) and Qianlong shiwu nian er yue (Made in the second month in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign), corresponding to 1750, the seal face cast in Manchurian and Chinese seal script with characters reading xianglanqi manzhou sijia lasan zuoling tuji (seal of the 3rd company, 4th regiment of the plain blue banner); the other with Qian zi sanqian sanbai wushiyi hao (Number 3351 of Qian) and Qianlong shiwu nian zheng yue (Made in the first month in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign'), corresponding to 1750, the seal face cast in Manchurian and Chinese seal script with characters reading xianglanqi manzhou sijia latou zuoling tuji (seal of the 1st company, 4th regiment of the plain blue banner)
印文：
正藍旗滿洲四甲喇頭佐領圖記
鑲藍旗滿洲四甲喇叄佐領圖記
(2)
Heights 9.2 and 9 cm, 3⅝ by 3½ in.
Dr. David Ho (Chinese name Ho Hangchi 何昌熾) was born in Kanton in 1911. His father was a well-known dentist in Nanjing who counted Chiang Kai-shek among his patients. David Ho pursued an illustrious career in International Law. He first studied political sciences at the University of Shanghai (1930-1932) followed by comparative and international law studies at Suzhou University. After moving to France, in 1941 he obtained a PhD in law from the University of Paris. In 1962 he joined the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in London. From 1949 until his retirement in 1971, David Ho worked as a legal officer at the United Nations Secretariat in New York. He relocated to Geneva in 1971 where he and his wife lived until his death in 1986.
Interested in Chinese history and art, David Ho was particularly fascinated by objects that were inscribed. His extensive archive and research suggest that it was during his time in New York that he began collecting and researching Chinese artefacts.