Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art

A Parsi-Indian boy orphaned at 16 went on to become a household name in India. Schools, colleges, hospitals, and bridges are named after the merchant-prince of Bombay, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy. He was known for his high spirit of enterprise, strict integrity, punctuality, and especially his generosity. In 1858, Jeejeebhoy was conferred the first Baronet of India by Queen Victoria. His wife, Lady Avabai Jeejeebhoy, paid to build the Bandra-Mahim causeway of Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1841 entirely on her own so citizens would not be charged for its use by the government. A portrait of Sir Jeejeebhoy will be featured this July in the upcoming Bonhams sale. It was painted by Lam Qua, the first Cantonese portrait painter exhibited in the West. 

18th-century Cantonese waterfronts and landmarks such as the five-story Pagoda (now the Guangzhou Museum) are also depicted in this sale of fine Chinese paintings and works of art. Another 18th-century lot that stands out is a huanghuali side table with a cloisonné enamel inset. In Chinese, huanghuali means “yellow flowering pear.” The cloisonné top features a paradise flycatcher perched on a branch of a blossoming peony bush. A similar cloisonné panel from the Yuan Ming and Qing dynasties is in the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

Paintings from Zhang Daqian, one of the best-known Chinese artists of the 20th century, as well as works from Yuan Jiang, Sun Qua, and Ting Qua are available in the sale. Alongside these paintings are lots such as two celadon-glazed jars from the Qianlong period, imperial surcoats, jade snuff bottles, and more. To view these items and to bid, visit Bonhams.