A Chinese clay figure of a Merchant.

Chinese Canton. Early 19^th Century

This is an exceptionally rare Chinese export figure, Canton or South China, modelled as a prosperous Chinese gentleman and preserved with its original tailored costume. Standing on a stepped plinth and holding a walking cane, he wears a tall hat and a long velvet coat in deep claret over a richly patterned waistcoat, with breeches, stockings and shoes. The head is finely carved and delicately painted, the neat moustache and measured expression conveying self possession rather than caricature.

Survivals of this type in untouched dress are extremely rare,  with no comparable examples known to us in institutional collections or in private hands. Textiles were especially vulnerable to loss, fading, insect damage, and later replacement. The present figure’s intact costume and accessories therefore form an unusually complete record of original presentation, and of the central role played by fashion, fabric, and surface richness within the Canton export luxury trade.