Tan Che Qua and Dr Anthony Askew
Statuette of Anthony Askew by Tan Che Qua (X302)
Standing at just 33cm tall and nearly 3 centuries old, the model of physician, Dr Anthony Askew has a story to tell.
The diminutive doctor, started life as a pile of clay, in the workshop of model maker Tan Che Qua in the port city of Canton(Guangzhou), China. The artist made portraits of visiting European traders but later travelled to London, bringing his clay with him to continue his work abroad.
Tan Che Qua was the first Chinese artist to visit Britain, and the first to exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts. As a Chinese traveller and artist in London in the eighteenth century, he was treated like a visiting dignitary. He met monarchs, artists, potters, antiquarians and he himself was drawn and painted by London artists.
Around 1770 Tan Che Qua met a new customer, Dr Anthony Askew (1722-1774), physician to St Bartholomew's Hospital. Tan Che Qua created the portrait of Askew with careful attention to detail. The model is instantly recognisable as a London physician of high status: his curled wig, his scarlet medical robes, the polite pose of a hidden hand in his waistcoat. In his hand, Askew holds a miniature version of the ‘gold-headed cane’, a symbol of medical authority. The original cane, also part of the RCP’s collection, was passed down through five generations of famous London physicians.
Detail of the Gold Headed cane, showing the coat of arms of Askew (X1042)
The artist depicted Askew’s rosy cheeks, prominent nose, and rounded figure, capturing both his personality and his likeness. The model was finished with painted gesso and fine details such as buttons were added. Askew sits upon a craggy rock base, arguably the only overtly Chinese stylistic feature of the sculpture, aside from the material itself and the hand of its maker.
After his stay in Britain, Chitqua returned to China. During his voyage he was reportedly thrown overboard off the Kentish coast and forced to make the journey twice. His later life was marked by hardship, and he ultimately died by suicide.
Few of Tan Che Qua’s works have survived in European art collections, owing to the fragility of the clay. The model of Askew was treasured as a family heirloom and eventually donated to the RCP in 1831 by Askew’s daughter, Lady Deborah Pepys. This extraordinary model has endured the passing centuries, two world wars, and the College’s move from Pall Mall to Regent’s Park.
Sculpture of Askew packed in a bespoke travel crate.
Most recently, the model continued its travels, journeying from north to south London in a case designed to protect it from vibration and environmental fluctuations for display in the exhibition, Seeds of Exchange: Canton and London in the 1700s. Seeds of Exchange explores the cross-cultural exchange of botanical knowledge between China and Britain in the eighteenth century, centring on the work of the English botanist John Bradby Blake. Employed as a supercargo for the East India Company in the 1770s, Blake worked closely with Chinese agent, Whang At Tong and the botanical artist Mak Sau, who he commissioned to record plants native to Canton.
The exhibition includes examples of Chinese portrait models, among them the statuette of Askew, displayed against a collection of striking botanical drawings. The Askew model will return to the RCP in the spring, where it will once again be displayed in the Treasures Room.
Seeds of Exchange offers a fascinating glimpse into the cultural and intellectual exchanges that shaped eighteenth-century Britain, highlighting Chinese contributions to both artistic and botanical knowledge.
Seeds of Exchange: Canton and London in the 1700s runs at the Garden Museum from 11 February to 10 May 2026.
Exhibition view of “Seeds of Exchange: Canton and London in the 1700s”. Image courtesy of The Garden Museum.
References
David Clarke, Chinese visitors to 18th century Britain and their contribution to its cultural and intellectual life, Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Vol. 34, No. 4 (December 2017), pp. 498-521 (24 pages) [accessed 18 February 2026]
Natasha Eaton, “In search of Chitqua” https://chronicle250.com/1770 [accessed 18 February 2026]
Pat Hardy, “New research on rare clay portrait figure by Chitqua” https://britishportraits.org/research-papers/new-research-on-rare-clay-portrait-figure-by-chitqua/ [accessed 18 February 2026]
Elizabeth Douglas
Senior Curator