A GROUP OF NINE ca 1860 CHINESE CARTE-DE-VISITE PHOTOGRAPHS.[Some Photographed b

CHINESE CARTE-DE-VISITE PHOTOGRAPHS.

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[China n.d. ca. 1860-1870's]. A group of 9 photographs, each board mounted as usual ca. 6 x 10.5 cm., some with verso photographer's name, location, name of girl or family, in Chinese,2 with English, a few minor flaws, by clean & solid. . . *** **** *** . . VERY EARLY SHANGHAI PHOTOGRAPHER'S PHOTOGRAPHS . * Each photograph is protected & encased in a loose archival plastic protective envelope. . * These images are clear, but with the usual and expected period fading. Each is a properly studio posed photograph. . * The images are: 1. A dashing very young man with a hat and long queue, and is framed in an oval photo shape. . * 2. Stunningly elegant young woman with fancy hair dressing, sits next to a table with a clock and long foreign pipe. She wears a very lovely Chinese traditional silk gown, and is framed in an oval photo shape. Name in Chinese on verso. . * 3. A young woman holds a fan and wears elaborate Chinese dress, seated next on a Chinese wooden bench with foot stool. Verso shows: "Pun-lun Photographer," with Chinese character name. . * 4. A young lady with hat holds a scroll and is seated wearing lovely typical Chinese dress gown. Verso shows Chinese characters "Man Zhou" [Manchuria] "Nuu zi" [woman] and the photographer's name in Chinese. . * 5. A young Chinese lady wears an elaborate and lovely Chinese gown and matching hat, holds a book and has a foreign looking table adjacent to her with flowers in a vase. Version shows Chinese characters:" Mei Ren" her name and other characters. . * 6. A lovely Chinese lady holds a round fan, has very long nails on her left hand and is seated next to a table where she rests her arm. Verso shows 6 Chinese characters, place and name. . * 7. A Chinese woman wears an elaborate gown and is framed in an oval photo shape. Verso shows Chinese name and some English: "Hung Tai Photography Onavpoac, No. 84, Shanghai" with the family name. * 8. A Chinese girl poses for a memorial photograph, she has "Lotus" feet [bound feet] and has an elaborate coiffeur, and is seated next to a table with flowers and a vase. Verso shows 4 Chinese characters, likely her name. . * 9. A family photograph, shows what can be a man, his wife and two daughters, the smaller of which sits on his knee, they are adjacent to a table, and is framed in an oval photo shape. Verso shows "Hung Tai Photography Onavpoac, No. 84, Shanghai" but with "all the family and their name" in 4 Chinese characters. . *** CONDITION: These are early 1860-1870's period vintage carte-de-visite. They are often somewhat faded although the images are very sharp, its simply the nature of such old photographs. Each image is quite nicely photographed, with clear, crisp image, although there is some of the usual fading. By and large a very nice set of quite SCARCE and early photographic portrait studies. . *** Each shows an elaborately dressed female with elegant silken gowns, hats, elaborate coiffure, jewelry; opium pipes & other decorations on a table, where their feet show, most are clearly "Golden Lotus" or bound feet, four are clearly posed at the same studio, near the same table and decorations. . * One shows a particularly round-faced woman in the Canton style, holding a fan, with non-bound feet resting on a small stand. Other women have oval or more "Northern" type faces, with Manchu-type silk gowns. Each is quite unique, and a delight to behold. The have a very natural look although posed, they seem to be very real and true-to-life. They lack that common "stiff & posed" look that detracts. . * Early photographs of Chinese are always scarce and seldom found on the market. This group represents refined & clearly upper-class Chinese in the most impressive silken gowns. Careful observation yields that most all wear earrings and rings, one even wears very long silver finger-extenders, another wears rings on every finger ! The leisure class recording an important moment in their life. One even holds what looks like a Western book. A stunning co. Seller Inventory # 41054401

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Title: A GROUP OF NINE ca 1860 CHINESE ...