[CHINESE SCHOOL]. Album of watercolours of flowers, fruit and silkworms. Circa,1800.

From the collection of the 5th Duke of Marlborough.  A sumptuous collection of mounted watercolours depicting Chinese silkworm cultivation, birds (including parrots), Asian fruits and multiple species of flowers; the work of exceptionally fine draughtsmanship from a Chinese school. Stylistic variety suggests a number of hands. The Chinese characters on the painting of silkworms read Quan Yuan Hao Jian Bo, meaning a shop (the first three characters) that sells silk foil (the last two characters). The spines of two volumes are labelled ‘Flowers’, and the third is labelled ‘Silk Worms, Fruits &c’.

3 vols, folio (50.9 x 37.4 cm); 244 mounted watercolours of flowers, fruit, birds and silkworms on Chinese paper, comprising vol.1: 82 drawings of flowers, vol.2: 82 drawings of flowers, vol.3: 8 drawings of silkworms, 7 of parrots, 59 of fruit/flowers, 6 of junks, nineteenth-century russia gilt, gilt armorial of George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (later 5th Duke of Marlborough), light foxing to a few plates, one volume rebacked retaining original spine, one volume with light water stain to upper cover, lightly scratched, some loss of leather to spine.

https://shapero.com/products/china-watercolours-duke-marlborough-1800-108333.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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