Not currently on display at the V&A

An Assistant regional commander

Painting
1800-1830 (made), 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This painting is part of a group depicting different costumes worn by Chinese men and women in the early 19th century. It shows an assistant regional commander in a blue robe and yellow jacket. He wears a hat with red tassels, and the peacock feather was given to him by the Chinese emperor in recognition of some meritorious deed he had done. Europeans were fascinated by Chinese dresses and hairstyles which were markedly different from their own, and paintings such as this were mass-produced as souvenir items.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleAn Assistant regional commander (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolours on paper
Brief description
Painting, "An Assistant Regional Commander", watercolours on paper, Guangzhou, China, 19th century
Physical description
Rectangular painting, the central figure wears a short yellow cape over a long blue robe and carries a long blade; one of twenty-four highly finished costume subjects

Dimensions
  • Height: 45.5cm
  • Width: 35.5cm
Style
Summary
This painting is part of a group depicting different costumes worn by Chinese men and women in the early 19th century. It shows an assistant regional commander in a blue robe and yellow jacket. He wears a hat with red tassels, and the peacock feather was given to him by the Chinese emperor in recognition of some meritorious deed he had done. Europeans were fascinated by Chinese dresses and hairstyles which were markedly different from their own, and paintings such as this were mass-produced as souvenir items.
Associated objects
Bibliographic reference
Souvenir from Canton : Chinese export paintings from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Shanghai, 2003 no.184
Collection
Accession number
7872

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Record createdFebruary 3, 2004
Record URL
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