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Duck boat: 4170.7

An image of Drawing
View image details Mirador icon - view image Mirador deep zoom IIIF Manifest IIIF Manifest Slow looking

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Alternative views

An image of Drawing
An image of Drawing
Current Location: In storage

Titles

Duck boat

Maker(s)

Youqua

Entities

Categories

Description

The image shows a duck boat. Duck-raising was a very common means of livelihood for the population of the Pearl River delta. The boat was specially designed to raise and transport ducks. This illustration is similar to 4173.12, except that the bamboo platforms are not open space, but rather enclosed cages. According to the Panyu gazetteer, "The duck farmers keep the ducks in boats, and these are called 'duck platforms'. Each platform can accommodate 3200 ducks. For every thousand ducks, three people keep watch over them. Each morning, they are riven onto the shore to graze. In late autumn, when the ducks turn fat, they are transported to Canton city to sell, or kept to lay eggs, or turned into preserved duck. In terms of animal husbandry, this is the largest category for our area". In the image, there are two farmers talking at the top of the cabin.

Measurements and weight

Height: 250 mm
Width: 337 mm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1909) by Bothamley, Rev. H.

Dating

19th Century
Circa 1840 - Circa 1870

School or Style

Chinese
Chinese export watercolour
Chinese export art

Materials used in production

Watercolour
Bodycolour
White highlights
Ink

Components of the work

Support composed of pith paper

Techniques used in production

Drawing : Watercolour, bodycolour and ink with heightening in white on pith paper, laid down with with strips of blue silk-covered paper

Identification numbers

Accession number: 4170.7
Primary reference Number: 185609

Audit data

Created: Friday 7 October 2011 Updated: Thursday 23 January 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Duck boat" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185609 Accessed: 2025-12-24 00:39:13

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185609 |title=Duck boat |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-24 00:39:13|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-185609

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<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp82/large_4170_287_29_201106_amt49_dc2.jpg"
        alt="Duck boat"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Duck boat</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>

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