Painting
1800-1830 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This painting is from a set of 24 depicting women playing different kinds of Chinese musical instruments. It shows a woman playing a stringed instrument called a pipa while her companion strikes an unidentified instrument. Artists in Canton (Guangzhou), in southern China, made such paintings for Europeans eager to find out more about China and its people. From the 18th century Canton was the principal – and later the only – trading port at which Europeans were permitted to buy Chinese goods.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Watercolour and ink on paper |
Brief description | Painting, watercolours on paper, Guangzhou, China, 1800-1830 |
Physical description | Painting, rectangular in shape, depicting figures in the centre. It shows a woman playing a stringed instrument called the 'pipa', while her companion strikes an unidentified instrument. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Object history | This painting is from a set of 24 depicting women playing different kinds of Chinese musical instruments. Artists in Canton made such paintings for Europeans eager to find out more about China and her people. Purchased from W. M. J. Weale, accessioned in 1885. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | This painting is from a set of 24 depicting women playing different kinds of Chinese musical instruments. It shows a woman playing a stringed instrument called a pipa while her companion strikes an unidentified instrument. Artists in Canton (Guangzhou), in southern China, made such paintings for Europeans eager to find out more about China and its people. From the 18th century Canton was the principal – and later the only – trading port at which Europeans were permitted to buy Chinese goods. |
Bibliographic reference | Souvenir from Canton : Chinese export paintings from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Shanghai, 2003
277 |
Collection | |
Accession number | D.2254-1885 |
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Record created | May 19, 2004 |
Record URL |
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