Officer of the 17th Lancers

This is an extremely rare Chinese reverse glass painting of an officer of the 17th Lancers on a white horse. They had skull and crossbones as a symbol of the regiment, which can be seen in the painting on the sabretache (document pouch), with the motto ‘Or Glory’. The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. This painting has an original carved wood gilt frame. It is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
“In the 1750s European trade with China was restricted to Canton, allowing the Chinese state under the Qianlong Emperor to collect taxes on goods traded and to monitor interactions with the West more easily. ‘Canton became the only hub of commerce on mainland China, where an exchange of goods as well as ideas occurred. This style of export mirror painting emerged and ultimately flourished in a unique environment of cultural exchange." Victoria Tudor for Christie's.
The technique of reverse glass painting was introduced to China in the late 1600s by its European trading partners, who manufactured and shipped the plate glass necessary for its production. By the middle of the following century, artists specializing in producing images for foreign markets were well-established at China’s primary international port, Guangzhou, or Canton, as well as the capital of Beijing.