Chinnery’s Tribute to Tanka People of Macau Leads Bonhams Travel and Exploration Sale – Martin Cid – Martin Cid Magazine

London The peripatetic life of the 19thcentury Irish painter George Chinnery (1774-1852) took him from the Tipperary of his birth to London, then to Serampore in West Bengal via Madras, Calcutta and Dacca. Fleeing his creditors, he arrived in Macau in 1825 and made the island his home until his death in 1852. He became fascinated by the artistic possibilities of Macaus shoreline and the local tradespeople going about their everyday lives.One of his paintings on this theme,A Tanka boat dwelling with Tanka boatwomen and pigs, Macauleads the Travel and Exploration sale in Knightsbridge on Wednesday 2 March. It is estimated at 15,000-20,000.

Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams Senior Picture Specialist, said: A Tanka boat dwelling with Tanka boatwomen and pigs, Macauvividly depicts members of the Tanka people a distinct and ancient ethnic group who lived along the shore of Macau. Often viewed as outcasts by the Chinese authorities Tankas lived on junks,tankbeing the Cantonese word for boat andkathe word for family. Today they are more usually known as Boat People and, although many have now built lives on dry land, they preserve the unique culture that so captivated George Chinnery nearly 200 years ago.

Other highlights of the sale include:

Elsewhere in the sale there is a wealth of interesting lots associated with polar exploration.

Highlights include:

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Chinnery's Tribute to Tanka People of Macau Leads Bonhams Travel and Exploration Sale - Martin Cid - Martin Cid Magazine