Vietnam, 1920 - Lot 44

Vietnam, 1920 Oval-shaped medallion representing a miniature on porcelain, depicting the portrait of Mandarin Vi Van Dinh (1878-1975) Sight plate size: 10.5 x 8.5 cm Size of plate alone: 6.4 x 5.2 cm N.B. This medallion is said to have been designed by Maison Raoul Hideux et Cie. An enamel art company in Paris, known in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for its miniature portraits enameled on copper. In the 1920s, the Robert HIDEUX et Cie company had a project to paint portraits of important political figures in Asia, in order to present them in an exhibition. To this end, they sent a representative, C. A. Benoist, himself an enamel artist, descended from a family of artists from the late 18th century. He was to contact the various directors to obtain photos and biographies, and to meet with them wherever possible, in an effort to get as close to reality as possible by portraying them. C. A. Benoist was in China in 1924, particularly in Peking and Tianjin, as attested by several files he compiled on Chinese politicians.