Colonel Norie’s Asian Art Collection

Please note: special rules apply for the bidding at this auction

It is the second time this year that we open the doors of Bruun Rasmussen in Copenhagen for an Asian auction, and this time around some of the most spectacular decorative art comes from the collection of Colonel and adjutant of George V of Britain, Evelyn Williams Medows Norie (1862-1915).

Kingfisher Feathers, Bats and Chinese Poets

During his stay in China from 1900-1902, Norie acquired an extensive art collection, which his grandchild is now selling as part of the upcoming auction. The 30 lots include sublime hair ornaments with Kingfisher feathers, gems and pearls from around 1900 and a wedding cup in white jade from the Qianlong dynasty, which is decorated with flowers, bats, lingzhi mushrooms and dragon handles. The auction also includes ten plates in Chinese porcelain of the finest quality from the Qing dynasty that depict scenes from well-known Chinese poets, including Han Gong Wang and Li Bai. A pair of small dishes with "tea-poems" also deserve to be mentioned here.

The Boxer Rebellion in China

Norie was born in India to English parents, but at the beginning of the 1870s he was sent to a boarding school in Edinburgh and later completed a military education in England. With his art collection, we dive into the Boxer Rebellion in China in the years around 1900, where Norie participated as a captain in the international military coalition that was assigned to fighting the Chinese insurgents.

The rebellion was a result of the West's growing political and commercial influence in China up through the 19th century as a result of trade agreements, postings and colonialism. During this period China was characterized by internal disintegration, and many Chinese longed for a return to greatness and to bring an end to Western dominance. The populist and nationalist movement Yihequan – "The Righteous and Harmonious Fists" – initiated, with the support of the Empress Dowager Cixi, a rebellion that, due to the traditional fighting techniques used by the participants, became known as the "Boxer Rebellion”.

The brunt of this rebellion was felt by the foreign missionaries and railroad and telegraph workers in China, and the uprising culminated when the boxers and the imperial forces together laid siege to the legation quarter in Beijing. The Western powers response to the rebellion was swift, and China paid a heavy price for the troubles caused. An alliance of the largest imperialist forces in East Asia was established with a combined force of 45,000 soldiers. The rebellion was struck down just as bloodily as it had begun, and it was a contributing factor to the final downfall of the Chinese Empire in 1911.

Norie’s Medal

Norie was awarded a medal and lauded for his efforts in the international expedition force – as can be read in the London Gazette on 14 May 1901:

"Captain E.W.M. Norie, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General for Intelligence, has carried out his duties with judgment and zeal and has shown much ability in using all sources of information".

Sophus Black’s and Henrik V. Jacobsen’s Collections

Collectors such as Telegraph Manager Sophus Black (1882-1960) and Director of East Asiatic Company Henrik V. Jacobsen (1887-1955) are familiar names at our auctions. They were both posted in Southeast Asia for many years, and with great passion and a good eye for quality they built prominent art collections. From Black's collection, we can, for instance, present rare Chinese paper money from the 1300s and four beautiful scrolls decorated with different religious and profane scenes. Jacobsen's collection offers the auction’s most expensive lot in the shape of a pair of porcelain wall vases from the first half of the 1800s.

Auction: 29 November at 2 pm at Bredgade 33 in Copenhagen

Preview: 23-27 November at the same address

View all the lots from the Asian auction here