Pair of rock crystal and brass eyeglasses in their original case, China, late 19th centuryThe bottom of the case housing the eyeglasses bears a red seal label in the center zhēnzhèng shuǐjīng-真正水晶 meaning "true crystal". It is surrounded by a handwritten cut-out label in French indicating a provenance: Souvenir de Chine - Campagne de 1861 - Bernard Cav... - soldat, 3e Génie. The inside of the case lid bears three seal labels in red: - sānshān lǎodiàn - 三山老店 - "former Chu Sanshan eyeglass store" followed by an advertising label of the house. - chǔ yáo tiān zhi - 褚堯天製 - "made by Chu Yaotian". - Then, a handwritten label: "To Mr. Brochart, tribute of respectful gratitude, May 12, 1902". The outside of the case embroidered in green, ochre and blue polychrome silks is decorated with a lakeside landscape showing mountains, trees, pavilions and a character sitting in a boat. Length: 15 cmBetween the
Kangxi (1662-1722) and Jiaqing (1795-1820) eras, two great engineers from Suzhou, a region renowned for its stonework, developed optical lens technology in China
.
The first one, Sun Yunqiu (1626-1661), favored the industry and the development of lenses made of semi-precious stones generating a very prosperous production and sale in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Tianjin, Guangzhou... In 1735, a workshop dedicated to the manufacturing of these corrective lenses appeared in Suzhou . From the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795) and under Jiaqing, the engineer Chu Sanchan took over. He was responsible for the development of the technology of making spectacles, especially with temples. Originally, glasses were a symbol of high social status in China because the lenses were made of rock crystal, topaz or amethyst. These rare and expensive materials were not accessible to ordinary people who could not afford to wear glasses. However, they eventually became a common product and spread throughout China.
- in cash (euros) up to € 3 000 for French nationals or up to € 15 000 for foreign nationals (upon presentation of evidence of address, notice of tax assessment, etc.; plus passport).
- by bank cheque (in euros) payable to ADER, with mandatory presentation of a valid identity document. Foreign cheques are not accepted.
- by bank card (Visa, Mastercard).
- by “3D secure” payment at the website www.ader-paris.fr
- by bank transfer in euros to ADER.
Banque Caisse des Dépots et Consignations, DRFIP Paris, 94 rue Réaumur, 75104 PARIS Cedex 02