989 Circa 1880 – Three Portraits on Silk – From Hong Kong to Hazelwood House Sligo

This is an interesting item. This Metal tube with Jute covering was posted in 1891 to Hazelwood in Sligo. The addressee is a Ms Hoblett (we think) and it contains three Portraits of well dressed, we presume important people. The portraits were most likely done in Hong Kong. Hazelwood House in County Sligo, Ireland, was built in 1720 by German architect Richard Cassells for the political and land-owning Wynne family, who held the estate for two centuries. The connection to Hong Kong ties specifically to Alexander Perceval (family by marriage to the Wynnes/Percevals of the Sligo estates), who made his fortune in the Far East as Taipan (Chinese term for a foreign born business leader of Jardine Matheson) and the first chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. There is no paperwork with the paintings to indicate the names of the sitters. The condition is only fair but fortunately they were in the tube for a long time and the colours are still quite vivid.

The Main Picture dimensions Height 20″ (51cm) Width 18″(46cm)

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