China’s retreat

Upon his return to Canton, Van Braam Houckgeest could not find a ship returning to the Netherlands.Duyvendak 1938, 97-8 He thus set sail for Philadelphia, in the United States. Van Braam Houckgeest had become an American citizen in the years before, and was thus able to settle himself in the newly established federal republic. Van Braam Houckgeest bought a plot of land near Bristol, where he established his new home, naming it ‘China’s retreat’.

China’s retreat was not just an interesting name. Van Braam Houckgeest brought a significant amount of objects back from China, and he decided to display them in his new home, which also functioned as a museum. However, towards the end of the 18th century Van Braam Houckgeest faced financial difficulties and had to sell his collection.

The collection was scattered across the globe. Van Braam Houckgeest had offered his collection to the French first, but the French government was reluctant to buy his collection due to its relationship with the United States.Ibid, 106 Van Braam Houckgeest actually sold part of his collection to one or several buyers in London, in 1799.Ibid The rest was sold after his passing in 1801.

Two centuries passed before the collection made its way to the Netherlands. In 2004, the Dutch Rijksmuseum purchased the remains of Van Braam Houckgeest China collection from his descendants. Van Braam Houckgeest gave the chair to his daughter Evararda in 1797, and it had thus remained in the United States.Moonan 2004

Having been made in Canton after an English Hepplewhite design, combined with its two century long stay in the United States before crossing the Atlantic on its way to the Dutch Rijksmuseum, we can say that this is a truly global chair. Through its journey across the globe, it has accumulated different meanings. From its production as a teak chair of British design, made specially for a Dutch-American owner, to its display in the newly established United States, and its purchase by the Rijksmuseum in 2005, its life became ever more global, and the story more complex.

The chair truly had a ‘global life’, as formulated by Gerritsen and Riello.Gerritsen & Riello 2016, p 8 Its existence highlights the global links that existed in the 18th century, and that exchange of knowledge, culture and goods cannot be traced back to a certain turning point. Moreover, the fact that the chair is still in such mint condition is a testament to its sturdy design. It has survived the test of time, and is an object that tells valuable stories.