Large-format silver print believed to depict three high-ranking Chinese noblemen during the late Qing Dynasty, circa 1900. The central figure may be Prince Tsai Tao (Zai Tao)—younger brother of the Guangxu Emperor and prominent Qing military reformer—flanked by two other men, possibly including Prince Qing (Yikuang) and an individual labeled as J. Hai on the mount.

The subjects are dressed in ornate Manchu robes, seated in an ornately paneled interior that may be part of a diplomatic residence or foreign legation. The mount includes printed labels identifying “T. T. Tsai” (with Chinese characters 蔡昌宸) and “J. Hai” (海誠), suggesting this image may have been taken during or after one of several diplomatic missions abroad during the final years of the Qing Dynasty, when Chinese princes were sent overseas to study military systems and Western governance.

Image size is approximately 6 x 8 inches, mounted on an oversized 9½ x 13 inch textured board. The bold silver gelatin print retains deep, rich contrast and detail, particularly in the textures of the embroidered garments and the architectural setting.

Images of Qing nobility from this transitional period—especially those associated with modernization efforts and diplomacy—are increasingly uncommon in this large, formal format. A compelling document of late-imperial Chinese elite in a moment of historical transformation.