A large bronze pagoda, Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

From the collection of Peter Karberg (1840-1922), son of Christian Karberg who owned Karberg Shipping Company with headquarters in Söderborg, Jylland. The Shipping Company had several ships who sailed under the Hong Kong flag. Peter started to work at the company’s Hong Kong office in the 1860’s and soon realized the opportunites in China, in 1866 he founded an import/export company together with the German born Jacob Arnold. Arnold, Karberg & Co became and important company who traded in all sorts of goods but specialized as contractors in engineering and machinery that could take on major assignments. The firm soon produced machinery to several different companies as well as to the Chinese government. An office were set up in Honan, then moved to Shameen Island, Canton were they built an impressive six stories high building designed by well renowned firm Purnel & Paget in 1872. The company grew quickly and in 1881 another office was opened in Shanghai, shortly thereafter in Tientsin, Hangkow, Tsingtan, Wuhu, Kiukian, Newshang, Chungking, and Mugden, London and New York. Peter Karlberg moved with his family to London in 1876, to run the office there. 1891 they moved to the Mansion at Maglegaard at Strandveijen, in Gentofte north of Copenhagen where they stayed. The pagoda went with the family from Hong Kong to the London recidence, then to Denmark, thence by descent to the present owner.