“Shanghae Flowers” (painted 1845 – 1847)

Album, 295 x 240 x 75 mm, thick embossed morocco bound boards, brass clasp, small bookseller’s label from Kensington, London to pastedown, later family inscriptions to endpaper, calligraphic title leaf in red and blue, heightened in gold ‘Shanghae Flowers. Presented to James White by his wife on his Birthday April X 1868’, two page manuscript contents list, 49 exquisite original watercolours of flowers from Shanghai, China, each contained in passepartout mounts and easily removed, many with contemporary inscriptions dates between 1845 – 1847, the mounts each with manuscript titles dating from 1868, lacking watercolour number 11, removed prior to 2006, light browning to the mounts, the watercolours all in exquisite, fresh and bright condition.

James White (1809 or 1810 – 1883) was a London merchant and politician active in China in the mid nineteenth century. Some sources state he was born 10 April 1809 in Hackney, Middlesex, England, however the 1871 and 1881 Censuses for England and Wales each state he was born in 1810. He married Mary Lind on 27 February 1833, their son, Alfred Cromwell White, is listed in the 1849 Census as being aged 12, and ‘Scholar, Shanghai, China’. In 1857 James White was elected as the Liberal MP for Plymouth, which he held for two years, and was Member of Parliament for Brighton from 1860 until 1874. He passed away on 9 January 1883 at his home at 8 Thurloe Square, South Kensington.

This exquisite album of original watercolours was presented to James White by his talented and clearly devoted wife on his birthday. The album was purchased in Kensington, close to the White’s home, and filled with original watercolour paintings that Mary White executed during their stay in Shanghai, China some twenty years prior. The flowers include those native to China, as well as specimens introduced by the Europeans which have adapted well to the environment. The artist has carefully copied out the titles of the flowers with their Latin names on to each mount, and drawn a decorative presentation title gifting the album to her husband on his birthday. It is an extraordinarily personal, intimate and thoughtful gift, commemorating their life together spent in England and China.

Upon the passing of James and Mary White, the album was in the collection of their son, James Talmage White, who established a studio in Capri in 1861 and was a well regarded painter of Italian landscapes. It was later gifted to his sister on her birthday in 1899, and presumably stayed in the family’s collection before surfacing in the trade about 20 years ago where it has changed hands a number of times since.

An exquisite and unique collection of Chinese botanical artworks by a talented English female painter resident in Shanghai in the 1840s.

 

Provenance :

Mrs. M. White (the artist), painted 1845 – 1847

presented to her husband, Mr. James White, 1868

James Talmage White (1833 – 1907), Villa Valentino, Capri, by descent (inscription to endpaper)

presented to his sister, Linda White (1837 – ?), on her birthday, June 27th 1899 (inscription to endpaper)

unknown

Woolley & Wallis, Salisbury, Pictures, Books & Prints, 4 May 2006, lot 60

Sotheby’s, London, Natural History, Travel, Atlases and Maps, 5 October, 2007, lot 49

Donald Heald Rare Books, New York, A Selection of Fine Books and Manuscripts, c. 2008, No. 80

Private collection, United States

Meijering Art Books, The Netherlands

Private collection, Hong Kong, acquired circa 2013

acquired from the above