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Empress: 4165.11

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

Empress

Maker(s)

Sunqua (Attributed)

Entities

Categories

Description

A watercolour drawing from the album 4165. This image depicts a Qing Empress seated on an ornate throne. The empress wears dark blue robe with elaborate dragon embroidery in gold and bright colors. Her outfit features a red collar over the robe, and the lower part includes multicolored panels with intricate patterns. She wears a cap with a peacock feather. A young attendant stands in front of her, wearing a red robe with blue trim. She presents a piece of jade ruyi, wrapped in brocade, to the empress. Behind the figures is a green screen with intricate cloud and dragon pattern. The throne itself is elaborately decorated with carved dragon motifs in gold and has a red foot stand. The painting is executed in the style typical of Chinese export art from around the late 18th or early 19th century, with careful attention to details in the clothing, furniture, and domestic objects. The style combines Chinese painting techniques with elements designed to appeal to Western tastes, particularly in the detailed rendering of the furniture's materials, the textiles' intricate designs, and the figures' individual facial characteristics.

Measurements and weight

Height: 365 mm
Width: 256 mm

Acquisition and important dates

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

Note

Export album made for the Western market

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, gold and silver on pith paper, laid down with with strips of blue silk-covered paper

Identification numbers

Accession number: 4165.11
Primary reference Number: 185625

Audit data

Created: Monday 10 October 2011 Updated: Thursday 28 August 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) "Empress" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185625 Accessed: 2025-12-06 23:34:43

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185625 |title=Empress |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-06 23:34:43|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp82/4165_2811_29_201106_amt49_dc2.jpg"
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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Empress</figcaption>
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