Antique Mid to Late Qing Chinese Export Tong Cao Gouache on Pith Painting Of Empress

This particular painting depicts a Qing imperial court lady in court regalia. Possibly an Empress or Guipin, she is depicted in full court regalia with a kingfisher headdress, jade ornaments and seated on an exquisite chair.

Tongcao (通草) paintings, which were painted directly on Tongcao pith, were produced mainly in late Qing Dynasty of China (1840-1912AD) in Guangzhou. As Tongcao paintings imitated western painting style to some extent and vividly recorded nearly all aspects of local customs of Guangzhou at that time, they were favored by foreigners once they were created. Almost every foreigner would buy and bring them to his homeland to share with his friends and families what they saw in Guangzhou before the invention of camera, so they also had another name of Guangzhou Postcard.

The treaty port of Canton (Guangzhou) was the only one open to western merchants, and for six months a year. They traded mainly in silk or tea, but the influx of visitors led to a market for objects produced expressly for export. As a representative export painting from Guangzhou in the 19th century, Tongcao paintings were a vivid reflection on the integration of trade, culture and art between China and the West along the Maritime Silk Road. The brilliant colours used in tongcao painting were a reflection of the intricate trade routes that congregated in Canton; cobalt and other minerals that created the vivid colours signature of tongcao paintings were a reflection of the trade that made production and demand for these exquisite paintings viable.

Price marked at $1200 AUD.
Measurements: 19.5 by 25.5cm.
Condition: Pith paintings are notoriously fragile. Here there is on minor split to the lower right corner, as well as wear and foxing as pictured. Some smearing of cobalt on the headdress. The picture has been reframed and is under conservation glass.