Gravure illustrant la bataille de Xiaobantian Chine, dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong, circa 1789-1790

représentant la ville en flammes assiégée par l'armée chinoise en haut d'une montagne, au premier plan des cavaliers chinois armés d'arcs et de flèches montent à l'assaut sur un chemin escarpé surplombant une rivière, poème célébrant la victoire daté 1788 en haut à droite, cadre en bois

Good overall condition with a folding line to the right side through the inscription and a stain below ; a pin hole under the inscription in the mountain ; some stains and pin holes to the borders ; the actual color is consistent with the catalogue illustration.
"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."

This engraving commemorates Emperor Qianlong's military campaign in Formosa in 1787 and 1788. The scene depicts the battle of Xiaobantian. The inscription is a poem composed and written by the Qianlong Emperor. This print is part of a set of prints published in 1789/90. The scenes were designed by Jia Quan and Li Ming, Chinese court artists working in the Jesuit tradition. In the early 1760s Emperor Qianlong had commissioned Guiseppe Castiglione and three other missionaries at the court to design a first series of drawings commemorating his military victories. These drawings were then sent to France to be engraved in copper and the finished copper plates reached Beijing in several shipments between 1772 and 1775. Qianlong was so pleased with this set that he later desired similar commemorative prints to be made of his other military campaigns. By the time of the Formosa campaign, however, all four of the Jesuit painters who had worked on the first series, had died. Chinese court painters trained by the Jesuits were therefore entrusted with the task. They closely followed the first series in style.
See a set of twelve engravings from the same set sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9 October 2007, lot 1313.