The Old Viceroy of Guangzhou

In John Ogilby’s 'China', the young viceroy is

described as wearing a coat ‘lined with Sables, and

the wrong side outward . . . The Saddle Cloth was Gold

Tissue . . .’ While the old viceroy wore ‘a Lemmoncoloured

Gown, embroidered with Golden Dragons, and

behind in this [sic] Cap he wore their Badge of Royalty, a

Peackock Tayl, about his Neck a Chain of White Sapphirs

of great value . . .’

These images and detailed descriptions of costumes

and habits would have intrigued readers in the 17th

century. Taking for granted our ready access to digital

images, we forget that Hollar’s prints would have been

the first introduction to Chinese civilisation for many

readers of English.

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