Large standing figure of an official, Qianlong, 1736-1795. © Marchant.

LONDON - Marchant are pleased to be exhibiting at Art Antiques London from 12th - 18th June 2014. It is situated on the Albert Memorial West Lawn (opposite the Royal Albert Hall). We will be at stand E16. Our gallery at 120 Kensington Church Street will remain open as usual Monday-Friday during the fair.

We are also delighted to announce that from Tuesday 1st July 2014, we will be opening our second gallery at 101 Kensington Church Street. This gallery will specialise in Chinese export art and Chinese decorative arts. 

Art Antiques London - opening times:
Thurs 12th June- Sat 14th June     11:00-19:00
Sun 15th June                                11:00-18:00
Mon 16th June -Tues 17th June     11:00-19:00
Weds 18th June                             11:00-18:00

Famille rose and grisaille eggshell soup plate, Yongzheng, 1723-1735. © Marchant.

painted in the centre with a mountainous river-landscape scene with a tall pagoda in the distance and a gated village in the foreground with a figure and his attendant between two horses, another figure crossing a bridge with a fisherman sitting in his boat beside his raised fishing rod, all amongst delicately painted rockwork, trees and houses, beneath a wide gilt floral leafy continuous branch in the cavetto, the flat everted rim with three peony sprays in leaf-shape reserves, besides white and pink chrysanthemum on a pink diaper ground and a gilt diaper band at the rim. 21cm diameter. Estimate on request

From the collection of Alfred Beit (1903-1994).

Sir Alfred Lane Beit, 2nd Baronet, was a British Conservative Party politician, art collector and philanthropist and honorary Irish citizen. His uncle was Alfred Beit, a South African mining millionaire, after whom he was named when he was born in London on 19 January 1903. his father otto Beit (1865-1930) was awarded the KCMG in 1920 and was created a baronet in February 1924. His mother was Lilian, daughter of Thomas Lane Carter of New Orleans, USA. On Sir Otto’s death in 1930, Alfred inherited a large fortune as well as numerous works of art, including works by Goya, Vermeer, Rubens and Gainsborough. Having lived at 49 Belgrave Square, he bought a mansion on Kensington Palace Gardens where these paintings were put on display. By the 1930′s the Beit family had philanthropically supported the Imperial College of science and Technology, the Rhodes Trust and had established the Beit Memorial Fellowship for medical research, besides making many smaller donations to other groups. Beit was made an honorary Irish citizen in 1993, in recognition of his philanthropy, including a 1987 donation of seventeen masterpieces to the national gallery of Ireland. The paintings donated had an estimated value of between IR£50 million and IR£100 million. The gallery described the donation as “among the greatest single gift to any Gallery in the world in that generation”. The Beit Wing of the National Gallery on Merrion Square is named in honour of the Beits, who also served on the Board of Directors of the gallery.

A related enamelled Yongzheng ruby-back eggshell dish from the Martin Hurst collection is illustrated by Dr. George C. Williamson in The Book of Famille Rose, pl. XXX, no. 3 and another larger landscape dish is illustrated on pl. XLViii, no. 1.

Large standing figure of an official, Qianlong, 1736-1795. © Marchant.

wearing long iron-red robes with different flowerhead medallions in gilt including lotus, chrysanthemum, prunus, hibiscus, peony and others, with white-enamel collar and shoes, heightened in black enamel, the face delicately modelled, the official hat with relief iron-red and gilt ruyi-head, modelled at the back with scrolls, long plaits and detailed hairwork, the base unglazed. 43.5cm high. Estimate on request

Formerly in a European private collection.

Related figure, with a nodding head, from the collection of Mr Basil and the Hon. Mrs Ionides, Buxted Park, Sussex, is illustrated by Margaret Jordain and R. Soame Jenyns in Chinese Export Art in The Eighteenth Century, no. 72, p. 110.

Large famille rose enamelled punch bowl, Qianlong, 1736-1795. © Marchant.

painted in a continuous scene with a gentleman seated on rockwork holding a pipe with another bearded gentleman standing beside a saddled horse, in a river landscape with ladies playing weiqi on a rockwork table with their attendants in front of two deer and children playing, a further scene with a lady seated on a marble stool playing a three-stringed guitar, san xian, beside a gentleman playing clappers, a drum in his other hand and a lady standing at the back playing a flute, being watched in a covered terrace by a standing lady holding a fan, an attendant holding a vase and two boys playing, with a pheasant perched on rockwork and another looking up, all amongst wuti, bamboo and peony, buildings in the distance, above a gilt floral band on the foot, painted in the well of the interior with a spray of peony, chrysanthemum and orchid, beneath gilt branches of grape and vine on the inner rim. 39cm diameter, 16cm high. Estimate on request

From the collection of Alfred Beit (1903-1994).

Sir Alfred Lane Beit, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative Party politician, art collector and philanthropist and honorary Irish citizen. His uncle was Alfred Beit, a South African mining millionaire, after whom he was named when he was born in London on 19 January 1903. his father Otto Beit (1865-1930) was awarded the KCMG in 1920 and was created a baronet in February 1924. his mother was Lilian, daughter of Thomas Lane Carter of New Orleans, US. on Sir Otto’s death in 1930, Alfred inherited a large fortune as well as numerous works of art, including works by Goya, Vermeer, Rubens and Gainsborough. Having lived at 49 Belgrave Square, he bought a mansion on Kensington Palace Gardens where these paintings were put on display. Beyond personal wealth, by 1930 the Beit family had philanthropically supported primarily the Imperial College of Science and Technology, the Rhodes Trust and had established the Beit Memorial Fellowship for Medical Research, besides many smaller donations to other groups. Beit was made an honorary Irish citizen in 1993, in recognition of his philanthropy, including a 1987 donation of seventeen masterpieces to the National Gallery of Ireland. The paintings donated had an estimated value of between IR£50 million and IR£100 million. The gallery described the donation as “among the greatest single gift to any Gallery in the world in that generation”. The Beit Wing of the National Gallery on Merrion Square is named in honour of the Beits, who also served on the Board of Directors of the gallery.