Bonhams 1793 : Sir Chaloner Alabaster's uniform as 'British Consul-General in China' Circa 1885

12 May 2011 10:00 BST London, New Bond Street
Fine Chinese Art
Back to auction 18827

Sir Chaloner Alabaster's uniform as 'British Consul-General in China'

Circa 1885
Comprising jacket, trousers, with elaborate silver and gold thread details and applied trim, feather-trimmed hat and sword belt, together with their wrought-iron carrying case, inscribed Chaloner Alabaster Esq; sold with four pamphlets published by Sir Chaloner Alabaster, dated circa 1870-1880, entitled Occasional Papers on Chinese Philosophy by Chaloner Alabaster, nos V, VI and VII, and a translation of The Chinese Law of Inheritance. (9).

Sold for £9,600 inc. premium

Footnotes

Provenance: the collection of Sir Chaloner Alabaster, K.C.M.G., British Consul General in China in the late 19th century, and thence by descent.

The following has been taken from the obituary of Sir Chaloner Alabaster (1838-1898), published in the North-China Herald, 11 July 1898, p.51:

'Chaloner Alabaster was educated at King's College, London, and matriculated at London University in 1852 ... . He was appointed a student interpreter in China in 1855, being attached to the Superintendency of Trade at Hong Kong. He was present at the first bombardment of Canton, and was attached to Admiral Sir M Seymour until the capture of Canton, for which service he received the China medal with Canton clasp. When it was determined to send the bloodthirsty Commissioner Yeh in exile to Calcutta, Alabaster was chosen to accompany him, and remained with the prisoner until the latter's death. Much of Alabaster's peculiar and recondite knowledge of Chinese philosophy was gained from his conversations with Yeh during his captivity. On his return to China he was first attached to Sir Frederick Bruce's mission, and was successively interpreter at Canton, Amoy, and Swatow, having plenty of experience of fighting against piratical villages while he was attached to the Swatow Consulate. He was appointed interpreter at Shanghai in 1861, and accompanied the Ever Victorious Army under Gordon and his predecessors in several of its engagements with the rebels. In August 1862 he was lent to the Chinese Government to assist in the reorganisation of the Sungkiang force. He was one of the organisers of the Mixed Court here, and is called in the Foreign Office List 'Joint Magistrate', this being obviously the position that the so-called 'Assessor' should always take. He was successively in charge of the Consulates at Chefoo, Swatow, Shanghai, Ningpo, Amoy, Ichang, and Hankow. In 1885 he was acting Consul-General at Shanghai, and was then transferred to Canton, where he was made Consul General. In the distribution of Birthday Honours in 1892 he was made a K.C.M.G., and in November 1892 he retired on a pension after more than thirty-seven years' invaluable service. ....'

His elder brother was a member of the China Consular Service from 1856 and his son became Attorney General in Hong Kong.

Category: Asian Art / Chinese Works of Art

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