19th Century Chinese Export Pith Painting of Figures in an Interior

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About the Item

Early 19th century Chinese export pith painting of figures in an Interior, likely circa 1830s, having a very finely painted oil on pith paper view of an exquisitely robed Lady holding a Pipa (Chinese Lute) and her attendant holding what is probably a bird cage; the pair are atop a finely detailed carpet, and in front of an emerald peacock tapestry. Pith paintings are first known from the 1820s, and enjoyed their heyday in the 1830s and 1840s. Although several famous artists are known to have included them among their craft, pith paintings were never signed. The very nature of the medium has been shrouded in much confusion over the years, often being called rice paper or mulberry paper. In fact, the paper was handmade by cutting extremely thin sheets from the spongy central pith of the small evergreen tree Tetrapanax papyrifera, which, lacking a Western common name, has come to be called "The Rice Paper Tree." The sheets were dried, trimmed and used for painting without any further processing, other than a surface coat of gouache which produced a very bright and sparkly effect. The surface would not hold watercolors, so the paintings were created with oil paints applied with very fine brushes containing very few hairs. The size of the evergreen tree limited the size of pith paintings, where most are in the 4 x 6 inch range or smaller. Very large ones, as seen here, are more rare, more valuable, and always of exquisite quality. Subject matters vary from portraits, domestic scenes, landscapes, industry and labor, and nautical scenes. This one was originally purchased by our client at $1500 but has been marked down at their request. The condition is very good, structurally sound, with a little bit of darkening and spotting with age. Image Measures: 11.38 in H x 8 in W Frame Measures: 19.13 in H x 15 in W.

Dimensions:
Height: 19.13 in (48.6 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
Style:
Chinese Export (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
China
Period:
1830-1839
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1830s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Nantucket, MA
Reference Number:
Seller: AD-BI-WHYY1stDibs: LU903918537932

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