Not currently on display at the V&A

A Provincial military 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 a provincial military commander in a blue robe and fur jacket. The bow and arrows he is holding indicate that he was a military officer. 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
TitleA Provincial military commander (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolours on paper
Brief description
Painting, "A Provincial Military Commander", watercolours on paper, Guangzhou, China, 19th century
Physical description
Rectangular painting, the central figure wears a beige jacket over a blue robe and carries a bow and set of arrows; one of twenty-four highly finished costume subjects

Dimensions
  • Height: 45cm
  • Width: 24cm
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 a provincial military commander in a blue robe and fur jacket. The bow and arrows he is holding indicate that he was a military officer. 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
Collection
Accession number
7868

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Record createdFebruary 6, 2004
Record URL
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