A large Chinese export reverse painted mirror circa 1770

depicting shipping on a lake with ducks and doves in the foreground, in a contemporary giltwood frame, the plate bevelled

Margaret Jourdain and R. Soame Jenyns, Chinese Export Art in the 18th Century, London 1950, p. 100, fig. 54.

Re-gilded overall. Good overall condition. Some losses to the gesso. Minor other wear to gilding. The plate with typical minor degradation to silvering with some small patches of loss to the upper region. Some characteristic fading to areas of tree foliage with crystallisation around edges of foliage. The lower painted region of the plate is basically in good condition with minor speckling. To summarise, the mirror itself is in an above average state of preservation.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The plate for this fine Chinese mirror painting is possibly of French manufacture, supplied to the painters of Canton, the centre for 18th Chinese mirror painting, through the agency of the Compagnie des Indes. It maintained a presence in Canton during the trading seasons, in common with other European trading companies. The introduction of the technique of painting on imported glass in China is often accredited to the Jesuit missionary Father Castiglione (1688-1766), who arrived in Peking in 1715, although the techinque of `back', or `reverse' painting was already well known in Europe. The designs were either painted onto the mirror glass before silvering or traced onto pre-silvered plates so that the mercury backing could be removed prior to decorating. After cleaning, the surface to be painted was washed over with gum water applied by a soft hair pencil or brush. Once the gum had dried, the artist worked on the image in reverse using a fine writing brush to apply oil colours, occasionally mixed with gum. The finished articles, often several at a time were then placed in a clay pan between layers of finely sieved quick lime before the colours were hardened in an oven.

The repetitive subject matter in mirror paintings of this genre suggests that many were based on prints. Birds and flowers were a popular theme, as exemplified by the present mirror which include Feng Hang birds, a composite creature with the head of a pheasant and the beak of a swallow. A river background such as that scene depicted here, was frequently employed and is often assumed to represent a Utopian view of the Pearl river, or Chu Kiang, which flows through Canton (cf. Graham Child, World Mirrors, 1990, pp.361-86). Jourdain and Jenyns, op. cit. p. 37, speculate that the present river scene may be set amongst the `terrain at Macao'.

An alternative version of the same river scene portrayed in a landscape aspect, sold Sotheby's London, `The Horlick Collection', 5 June 2007, lot 37.