Asian Arts

Dame Marie Tempest (Mary Susan Etherington) (English, 1864-1942), possibly acquired in China during overseas travels between 1914-1922

Thence by descent

Acquired from the above by the present owner, Property from a private New England Collection

Dame Edith Tempest was a popular singer and actress in light operas and operettas, and later developed into a dramatic comedienne.  She debuted in 1885 on the London stage, and toured several times in Europe, America, and, between 1914-1922, the Far East and Australia. Her role as the title character in Alfred Cellier's “Dorothy” was well-received and extended to nearly 1000 performances.  This was followed by title roles such as Adele in “An Artist's Model”, “The Geisha”, and “A Greek Slave”. She performed in plays by Somerset Maugham, such as “Mrs. Dot”, and Noel Coward's “Hay Fever”.  She was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1937, and her London home was featured in “Country Life” in 1930, vol 68, pp. 738-740, where in her dining room are noted: “On shelves of plate glass stand the jades and ivories, amethyst rosaries and bronze Buddha presented to Marie Tempest by mandarins and governors of the various Chinese provinces through which she traveled during her last visit to the East.”

Dame Tempest女爵 (Mary Susan Etherington) (英國, 1864-1942) 可能得於1914年至1922年間於訪華旅程

家族內傳承

現藏家得於上述來源，英國私人收藏

Dame Edith Tempest女爵曾是一位卓越的音樂劇演員歌手，而後成為了喜劇演員。自1885年首登台以來，其人多次在歐美各國演出。而在1914至1922年間，更是遠赴遠東和澳洲進行表演。其人在戲劇Alfred Cellier的“Dorothy”一角，榮登台上千次。除此之外，她還出演過戲劇“An Artist's Model”，“The Geisha”，以及 “A Greek Slave”。在Somerset Maugham的戲劇 “Mrs. Dot”, 和Noel Coward的“Hay Fever”，其人亦有參演。1937年，Marie被授予女爵一榮耀。她位於倫敦的府邸也被刊載於“Country Life”雜誌，1930, vol 68, pp. 738-740，在介紹其餐廳一段中描寫道，“玻璃架子上擺滿了美玉，牙雕，水晶，以及銅佛造像，均來自其在中國演出時，政府及各界名流的餽贈。”