A RARE CHINESE CIRCULAR PECTORAL DISC FROM A SUIT OF CEREMONIAL ARMOUR, HUXINJING

A RARE CHINESE CIRCULAR PECTORAL DISC FROM A SUIT OF CEREMONIAL ARMOUR, HUXINJING
QING DYNASTY

The convex mirrored centre encircled by a wide gilded band, embossed with scrolling foliage and stylised flowerheads, set with six appliqués with turquoise beads, 298g, 20cm.

Provenance: from the collection of Norman Blount, 1875-1930. Norman Blount was a jute broker, as well as the joint secretary (with the artist Abanindranath Tagore) of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, which was founded in 1907 in Calcutta, with Lord Kitchener the Society’s President.

Cf. Sotheby’s London, 7th November 2007, lot 487 and Bonhams London, 12th May 2022, lot 91, for Chinese suits of ceremonial armour which include closely related huxinjing.

Ceremonial armour suits were worn during the Qing dynasty by high-ranking officers on occasions when the Emperor reviewed his armies. Valery M Garrett in Chinese Clothing, An Illustrated Guide, p.122, notes that ceremonial suits of armour 'were made in the Imperial workshops in Hangzhou, and when not worn were stored at the Western Gate of the Forbidden City'.

清 白銅嵌孔雀石護心鏡
來源：諾曼·布朗特（1875-1930）收藏。諾曼布朗特曾是一個黃麻經銷商，與藝術家泰戈爾一起擔任了印度東方藝術協會的聯合秘書（1907年於加爾各答成立），而霍雷肖•赫伯特•基奇納元帥(1850-1916)為協會主席。