A Chinese Fresco Fragment Depicting Celestial Maidens, Ming Dynasty
明 瀝粉貼金彩繪琵琶侍女壁畫殘片

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

The rectangular panel depicting maidens in elegant flowing robes, one carrying a cloth-wrapped pipa, details picked out in raised gesso, later backed with cloth, framed and glazed.

Panel 28 1/4 x 12 1/4 in., 71.8 x 31 cm.; Sight Height 27 3/4 in., 70.5 cm.; Width 11 1/2 in., 29.2 cm.; Frame Height 37 1/2 in., 95.7 cm., Width 18 1/4 in., 46.3 cm.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Provenance:

Dr. Jacob Gould Schurman (Canadian-American 1854-1942).

Brigadier General John Magruder (American, 1887-1958) (son-in-law of the above).

Thence by descent to the present owners.

Dr. Jacob Gould Schurman was a prominent professor, author, diplomat, and philosopher. Advisor to five U. S. Presidents, Dr. Schurman served as the third President of Cornell University from 1892-1920 and was appointed U.S. Minister to Greece and Montenegro from 1912-1913. He served as Vice President of the New York Constitutional Convention in 1915. Dr Schurman was appointed U.S. Minister to China, from 1920-1925, and Ambassador to Germany from 1925-1929. Dr. Schurman’s daughter Helen married then Major John Magruder in the Malacanang Palace in the Philippines in 1922.

Magruder was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1909, and served in the United States Army from 1910-1946. After serving in Europe during WWI, Magruder was assigned to China as Assistant Military Attaché from 1919 to 1924 and then promoted to Military Attaché in Beijing from 1925 to 1930. He was Commandant of Corps, Virginia Military Institute, 1930-1934 During WWII, Magruder was Deputy Director, and then Director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) (1943-1945), led the Strategic Services Unit (SSU) in 1945 and after WWII. He was instrumental in the foundation of the Central Intelligence Association (CIA). During his time in China, Magruder developed relationships with General Sun Li-Jen (1900-1990) and Chiang Kai-Shek (Chinese, 1887-1975). Magruder also had ties with adventurer and soldier of fortune Vladimir Petro-Pavlovski (Russian, 1897-1971), who married Magruder’s wife’s sister Barbara.

來源：

美国驻华特命全权公使（1921-1925）雅各布·古尔德·舒尔曼（1854-1942）藏。

傳于女婿John Magruder（1887-1958）準將，后家族傳承。

美国教育家、外交家舒尔曼舊藏。舒尔曼曾輔佐五任美國總統，1892-1920年間出任康奈尔大学校长，期間，1912-1913年出使希臘與黑山共和國。1921年6月2日，舒尔曼被任命为美国驻中华民国特命全权公使，1921年9月12日在北京递交国书，1925年4月15日离任。

舒尔曼出使中國期間嫁女，婚禮在菲律賓總統府马拉卡南宫舉行，這幅畫傳給女婿陸軍準將約翰·馬魯德（1887-1958）。馬魯德畢業於弗吉尼亞軍校，1919-30年間派駐北京擔任武官，與同樣是弗吉尼亚军校畢業的孫立人交好。二戰末期，馬魯德曾任战略情报局局長，并在戰後繼續負責情報工作，參與創立了中央情报局。

A Chinese Fresco Fragment Depicting Celestial Maidens, Ming Dynasty 明 瀝粉貼金彩繪琵琶侍女壁畫殘片

A Chinese Fresco Fragment Depicting Celestial Maidens, Ming Dynasty
明瀝粉貼金彩繪琵琶侍女壁畫殘片