A Chinese black and white photographic portrait of a dignitary in a carved frame, dated 1901

Photo: 13,9 x 9,8 cm

Frame: 24,8 x 18,7 cm

Provenance: Jean Jadot ('Souvenir affectuant à Mr et Me Jadot, Shanghaï, 4 mars 1901').

Jean Jadot was in charge of the development of the railway (see: G. Kurgan, Jean Jadot, architect of the Belgian expansion in China, Academie royal of overseas sciences, Brussels, 1965). 

The person depicted is Ge Hongnian, the assistent at Sheng Xuanhuai (we would like to thank D. Dendooven and Dr. P. Vanhaelemeersch for the identification).