Paintings

A distinctive profile of Governor Yeh who is sitting reading a book beside a window. In his right hand he is holding a green jade snuff bottle. Governor Yeh is wearing a hat with the double peacock plume, shuang yan hua ling, which denoted the highest rank available to any but the first three ranks of Imperial Prince.

Yeh Ming-Chen was born in Hayang, Hupeh on December 21st 1807. In 1847 he was appointed financial commisioner of Kwangtung Province and the following year promoted to Governor. The Taiping Rebellion was starting at this time in Kwangsi and spread across the borders. Yeh had to deal with bandits, sects and also pirates in the coastal areas. He used harsh measures  and the loss of life was appalling. He also had the foreign merchants at Canton to deal with. In September 1852 he was made acting governor-general of Liang-Kuang (Kwangtung and Kwangsi).

In 1856 he was made a Grand Secretary. In October 1856 the lorcha "Arrow" incident happened and in December the same year the foreign factories at Canton were set on fire. Yeh was captured by the British on January 5th 1858 and the following month he was taken to Calcutta. He passed away there in 1859.

This portrait was painted in a Chinese artist's studio at Canton, probably in 1856. 

Reference:   Hummel, Arthur W.   Eminent Chinese of the Ch'Ing Period Vol. 2  reprint 2002