Lot 651
Wang Dafan (1888-1961) was a renowned Chinese porcelain painter and a prominent figure among the ‘Eight Friends of Zhushan’, a group of influential porcelain artists in Jingdezhen during the early 20th century. For a simpler plaque with similarities in painting style of the face and hands, see Bonhams San Francisco, 10 December 2015, lot 8187. The vendor's father Ronald Sleap was based on Hong Kong from 1938 working for A.S. Watson, a prominent retailer of health and beauty products, wines, spirits and aerated water. During the war he was a Lieutenant in the 3rd Artillery Battalion of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force. He was interred by the Japanese in 1941 in Civilian Camp N, (a postcard by Mr Sleap from the Internment Camp sold at Spinks for $2200HKD - auction CSS68 lot 615) later released in 1945 he remained in Hong Kong until 1968. The vendor remembers the plaque on the wall during this period. The vendors collection of 3 Emergency Hong Kong Dollar Banknotes (Lot 396) sold in our 7th May auction for £3000.
