A Chinese Blue and White Dragon Jar

W: 12 7/8 in. H: 11 in. (33 cm x 28 cm)

Prince Qingmi Yikuang (1838-1917) was the great-grandson of Emperor Qianlong and the Prince Gong. On the lunar new year of the 20th Guangxu era (February 6, 1894), Empress Dowager Cixi bestowed the title of Prince Qing upon him to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. He served as the leader of the military and political affairs, and after the abolition of the Grand Council and the Grand Secretariat, he became the first Prime Minister of the Cabinet. In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), during the invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Alliance (The Siege of the International Legations), he was appointed, along with Li Hongzhang, to represent the Qing government in signing the "Boxer Protocol" the following year. After the Wuchang Uprising, he invited Yuan Shikai to serve as Prime Minister in his place and assumed the position of President of the Beiyang Government. Later, he worked with Yuan Shikai to persuade Empress Dowager Longyu to agree to Emperor Puyi's abdication.

As the last hereditary Prince and a favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi, Yikuang received a large number of royal treasures from her as rewards. During his lifetime, he held a high position and had a significant influence. He also collected and received numerous valuable royal artworks. In the 6th year of the Republic of China (1917), Yikuang passed away due to illness, and his eldest son inherited his title and a substantial amount of family wealth.

Yizhen (1876-1947), the eldest son of Yikuang, succeeded his father's title and became the last Prince Qing. In 1924, when Puyi was expelled from the palace, Yizhuan feared for his own safety and moved to the Tianjin British Concession. He invested 300,000 yuan and formed a partnership with Gaoxingqiao to build three buildings in the French Concession: the Quanyechang Market, the Transportation Hotel, and the Bohai Building. He engaged in business and investment activities, distancing himself from politics. The name of the Tianjin Quanyechang Market was derived from a poetic verse composed by Zaizhen, and the golden signboard of "Tianjin Quanyechang Market" was calligraphed by Hua Shikui, the calligrapher who wrote the edict of Emperor Puyi's abdication. Relying on bank interest and the sale of inherited assets, Yizhuan lived a luxurious life in Tianjin. A large number of artworks from the family collection were sold in Tianjin.

Damien de Martel, the French Minister to China (Count Martel) (1878-1940), lived in China and other Asian countries for a long time. From 1933 to 1939, he served as the Plenipotentiary Minister to China, Latvia, and Japan, and he was an avid collector of Asian art. During his time in Tianjin, Damien de Martel acquired a large number of Chinese artworks that were sold from the Prince Qing's residence.

After his death in his hometown in France in 1940, many of the artworks he collected were inherited by his family and are still preserved to this day. Most of these artworks purchased from the Prince Qing's residence are marked with the words Prince Qing's Residence in paint and labeled with the logo of the Tianjin Quanyechang Market.