$66,000
China trade oil on canvas portrait of Chinese statesman Aison Gioro Keying, ca. 1840 , inscribed on frame Keying the Great Chinese Commissioner___the___ . Keying was a highly influential figure in mid 19th c. China, negotiating the treaty with Britain after the first opium war and later treaties with the United States, Sweden-Norway, and France which collectively became known as the "Unequal Treaties". He later attempted to negotiate an end to the second opium war but left the negotiations after being humiliated by the British. He was sentenced to death by the Chinese government but allowed to commit suicide instead in 1858. While the connection between Tibbits and Keying is not known a few clues let us speculate why this early ship captain chose to commission the portrait. On June 16th 1844 a band of angry Chinese entered the American garden and attacked the Americans with clubs. During the incident an American shot and killed a Chinese man. Commissioner Keying got involved but Cal
Auctioneer:
Pook & Pook
Date:
2014-01-18
