Frandon, Ernest Louis François Paul (1842-1904, owner and translator)

2 volumes, tall thin folio (570 x 245mm.), 42 double-page coloured images of military formations in concertina format with woodcut, hand-coloured, colour-printed, letterpress and manuscript elements, each within blue/green border, the second volume with double-page manuscript introduction by Frandon, contemporary wooden boards, the covers titled in French (manuscript on paper label) and Chinese (black velvet characters on red paper labels), each volume within a modern red cloth chemise, all contained within a single red morocco-backed cloth box, spine gilt, occasional slight staining, a few tears

the condition of this lot is as described in the catalogue description
"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."

A unique pair of manuscript Chinese military albums: a relic of the Sino-French War of 1883-1885.

Ernest Frandon enjoyed a long diplomatic career, which he describes in detail in the “Etat de Services” which he submitted when he was being considered for the Legion d'Honneur in 1891. After working briefly in Spain and Japan, Frandon received his first posting to China (Shanghai), in November 1882. His work on the present albums dates from April 1883 when he was appointed “gerant” or manager at the French Vice Consulate at Foutcheou (Fuzhow) in Fujian province.

The early period of Frandon's tour in Fuzhow seems to have been particularly eventful: he provided information about the harbour at Fuzhow, the Chinese fleet and the new naval yard (built under the supervision of the French). This proved to be useful to Admiral Amedee Courbet during the battle of Fuzhow when the French Far East Squadron virtually destroyed the Fujian Fleet, one of China's four regional fleets. Specifically, in his “Etat de Services” he notes that he sent a report on the defences of Fuzhow and that he found for Courbet the pilots necessary for the fleet to gain entry to the harbour.

It appears gathering military and naval intelligence was a significant part of Frandon's duties, and the present albums fall squarely into that category. Taking a pair of traditional military text-books as his starting point, Frandon here explains (in red ink) and interprets (in black ink) the text and diagrams. As he states in his two-page manuscript introduction in the second of the albums, his intention was to point out traits and weaknesses which could prove useful if a “European” (i.e. French) army were ever to face the soldiers of the “Celeste Empire”. The first album offers a key to the so-called “ancient manoeuvres”, while the second concentrates on “European manoeuvres” introduced once the Chinese army was armed with European rifles.

Each double-page plate seems to have been carefully composed using a selection of smaller woodblocks (of individual figures, small groups of figures, flags, small sections of buildings, tents, etc.) which are combined in a way that illustrates each manoeuvre. Each plate in the first album includes explanatory text printed in Chinese characters to one side, translated into French in Frandon's neat and legible hand; the plates in the second album are identified only by titles. The use of these individual woodblocks or stamps to form the plates would have given great freedom to whoever composed each plate, while also allowing for the outline of each plate to be completed relatively quickly. Colour was then added using a stencils and the whole then finished by hand, adding occasional details, or touches of additional colour. Intriguingly, the entry for Frandon in Figures Contemporaines tirées de L'Album Mariani (Paris, 1901, vol.VI pp.155-156) includes a footnote on page 156 which mentions that Frandon wrote a two-volume work in 1883 titled Les Excercises militaries des Chinois, but we have not been able to find any other record of this ever having been published, and it may be that this refers to the present  albums and Frandon's (unpublished) notes that they contain.