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Court Lady Sitting by a Table: 4168.4

An image of Drawing
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Alternative views

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

Titles

Court Lady Sitting by a Table

Maker(s)

Yunqua

Entities

Categories

Description

A watercolour drawing from the album 4168. This image depicts a Qing court lady sitting beside an ornate table. The figure wears a court robe featuring multiple richly decorated layers - a dark outer robe with elaborate dragon and cloud motifs, colorful sleeves with floral patterns, and a lower part with wave designs and floral embroidery. She wears an ornate blue headdress decorated with pearls and dangling ornaments, and has a blue cap around her collar. The hexagonal table has bamboo legs and a wooden surface. On the table are a green ceramic vase holding crested cock's comb and a green ceramic pot with narcissus. 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 decorative objects. The style combines Chinese painting techniques with elements designed to appeal to Western tastes, particularly in the detailed rendering of the figure's sumptuous costume and the well-appointed interior setting. Previously described as "Manchu official ".

Measurements and weight

Height: 336 mm
Width: 253 mm

Acquisition and important dates

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

School or Style

Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour

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: 4168.4
Primary reference Number: 185642

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 (2026) "Court Lady Sitting by a Table" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185642 Accessed: 2026-01-16 04:06:58

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185642 |title=Court Lady Sitting by a Table |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2026-01-16 04:06:58|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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