Prints of the Taiwan Campaigns

$245,900 

“During his reign, the Qianlong Emperor oversaw the Ten Great Campaigns, which considerably extended the size of the Qing Empire,” says Jeffrey Kerr, sales director of London-based Shapero Rare Books, explaining that the Chinese emperor commissioned his court artists to create sets of drawings to commemorate many of his military successes.  “Among these is an extremely rare set of 12 prints describing the Taiwan Campaigns against bandits and Ming loyalists—carried out between 1787 and 1788—which are notable for their rendition of seascapes and naval battle scenes.” Each of the plates, says Kerr, includes an engraved valedictory poem in the hand of the Qianlong Emperor.

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A rare set of 12 prints describing the Taiwan Campaigns against bandits and Ming loyalist

Photo: Shapero