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Pink Spider Chrysanthemums with Papilio hippono and Junonia almana Butterflies: PD.282-1973

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Titles

Pink Spider Chrysanthemums with Papilio hippono and Junonia almana Butterflies

Maker(s)

Draughtsman: Canton workshop

Entities

Categories

Description

This is a Chinese export watercolour depicting pink chrysanthemums with butterflies and insects. The illustration features three spider-type chrysanthemum blooms with thin, radiating petals in varying shades of pink. The flowers display the characteristic form of this cultivar group, with narrow, spidery petals extending from yellow-green centers. Several stems support the blooms, each with deeply lobed green leaves typical of chrysanthemums arranged along the branches. A Chinese inscription at the lower left corner reads “fenhong ju 粉紅菊”, pink chrysanthemums. Four insects are depicted around the flowers: a large black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio hippono) with orange and white markings on the left; a peacock butterfly (Junonia almana) with orange wings and blue eyespots in the upper right; a small wasp in the center; and a small ladybug at the bottom.The painting demonstrates the fine brushwork characteristic of Chinese export art from the late 18th or early 19th century, combining traditional Chinese flower-and-bird painting style and Western botanical illustration. Previously described as “stem with flowers in bud and bloom, surrounded by butterflies and insects”.

Measurements and weight

Height: 300 mm
Width: 448 mm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1973) by Fairhaven, Henry Rogers Broughton

School or Style

Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour

Materials used in production

Bodycolour

Components of the work

Support composed of paper

Techniques used in production

Watercolour : Bodycolour on paper

Identification numbers

Accession number: PD.282-1973
Primary reference Number: 23125

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 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) "Pink Spider Chrysanthemums with Papilio hippono and Junonia almana Butterflies" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/23125 Accessed: 2025-12-25 06:33:40

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/23125 |title=Pink Spider Chrysanthemums with Papilio hippono and Junonia almana Butterflies |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-25 06:33:40|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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