
Part of the China collection.

Chinese reverse glass paintings for export are known since mid 18th century. By the 1780's the copying of European, mainly English, engravings came into vogue in Chinese paintings on glass, and often reverse glass paintings were mirrored or with silver backs. Particularly in England, they became very popular as over mantel mirrors in copied English frames. Because of their nature, many have been lost over time.

Along the Canton waterfront, four flags are seen aloft, from left to right: the Spanish, the American, the British and the Dutch. The Stars and Stripes were first hoisted here in 1799, the Union Jack was added with the red saltire of St Patrick in 1801 and in 1803. The Spanish flag was replaced by the French Tricolor, which was taken down on the death of Jean Baptiste Piron, the French supercargo and 'Agent de la République' in October 1804, not to reappear on the Canton waterfront until the 1830s. So this picture must represent the situation of the Western Hongs in Canton between 1801 and 1803.

The present work is a rare survivor of the 18th and 19th-century maritime trade contacts between Canton, Manilla and Central and South America. The Manilla-Acapulco galleon trade brought Spanish fashion influence to the Philippines, as shown in the tipos del pais paintings by Jose Lozano, Justiniano Asuncion and Damian Domingo.