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Court Lady Standing by a Table: 4168.6

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 Standing by a Table

Maker(s)

Yunqua

Entities

Categories

Description

A watercolour drawing from the album 4168. This image depicts a Qing court lady standing beside a dark wooden table. The figure wears a court robe featuring multiple richly decorated layers - a dark outer robe with elaborate cloud and dragon motifs, colorful sleeves with floral patterns, and a blue pleated lower garment with wave designs and floral embroidery. She wears an ornate headdress decorated with blue and orange elements and dangling pearl ornaments, and jade earrings. She holds her belt in one hand and a handkerchief in the other. The lady stands beside a marble-topped table with dark wooden legs. On the table are several objects including a blue bowl filled with various fruits (pumpkins, melons, and grapes), a tall dark purple vase holding orchid, and a stack of books in a red box. A blue ceramic stool is positioned beneath the table. 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 "Woman, standing".

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: 4168.6
Primary reference Number: 185644

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) "Court Lady Standing by a Table" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185644 Accessed: 2025-12-26 12:55:14

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/185644 |title=Court Lady Standing by a Table |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-26 12:55:14|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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