Macau, China
1880s
[Material to confirm: oil on circular panel]
Height 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm)
Provenance: Commodore Demitro Cinatti, Governor of the Port of Macau, appointed June 25, 1878; private collection, London, UK; collection label in Portuguese reading "Baby of Colette"
This circular miniature belongs to the China trade painting tradition centered in Macau and Canton, where artists produced maritime scenes for European and Portuguese colonial collectors throughout the 19th century. The work depicts a South China Sea trading vessel under full sail on open water, rendered with attention to rigging, sail configuration, and hull form against a turbulent blue green sea. Its original owner, Commodore Demitro Cinatti, was appointed Governor of the Port of Macau on June 25, 1878, providing a precise historical anchor for the painting's early provenance.
The Portuguese label "Baby of Colette" on the reverse indicates the painting passed through at least one subsequent family generation before reaching its London private collection. The circular format suggests the work may have functioned as a decorative panel or inset piece rather than a standalone framed painting. The documented colonial provenance and family label make this an unusually traceable example of the China trade tradition.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Macau, China
1880s
[Material to confirm: oil on circular panel]
Height 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm)
Provenance: Commodore Demitro Cinatti, Governor of the Port of Macau, appointed June 25, 1878; private collection, London, UK; collection label in Portuguese reading "Baby of Colette"
This circular miniature belongs to the China trade painting tradition centered in Macau and Canton, where artists produced maritime scenes for European and Portuguese colonial collectors throughout the 19th century. The work depicts a South China Sea trading vessel under full sail on open water, rendered with attention to rigging, sail configuration, and hull form against a turbulent blue green sea. Its original owner, Commodore Demitro Cinatti, was appointed Governor of the Port of Macau on June 25, 1878, providing a precise historical anchor for the painting's early provenance.
The Portuguese label "Baby of Colette" on the reverse indicates the painting passed through at least one subsequent family generation before reaching its London private collection. The circular format suggests the work may have functioned as a decorative panel or inset piece rather than a standalone framed painting. The documented colonial provenance and family label make this an unusually traceable example of the China trade tradition.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
