1676916144000 1730763694000 Standard Record object-317660 1753812217393 1752756879000 1753812119276 adlib fitz-online adlib-object-317660 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/317660 4eb99b49-c085-3a11-8650-fe218f435b77 4 reference term-132599 adlib-term-132599 1694e3a8-e992-3067-93ce-0cab953fe146 pith paper Support Paintings, Drawings and Prints The composition features a pair of mandarin ducks (Aix galericulata) positioned on dark rocks beside a lotus pond. The male duck displays its characteristic ornate plumage with distinctive brown, blue, and white markings, while the female shows more subdued brown colouring with scaled patterns. Both birds are rendered with careful attention to their distinctive features, including the male's decorative crest and the female's more modest patterning. The setting includes a lotus pond with pink lotus flowers in various stages of bloom, from buds to full blossoms, accompanied by their characteristic round leaves. Tall bamboo or reed-like plants emerge from behind the rocks where the ducks rest. The artwork demonstrates a blend of naturalistic observation and traditional Chinese artistic conventions. The lotus flowers and rocks, in particular, show strong influences of traditional Chinese painting techniques in their execution. The composition creates a harmonious scene that symbolically represents marital fidelity, as mandarin ducks are traditionally viewed as symbols of conjugal faithfulness in Chinese culture. The illustration combines precise ornithological documentation with artistic interpretation, characteristic of Chinese natural history paintings of this period. 4205.8 1 accession number 4205.8 317660 priref 317660 uri https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/317660 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/317660 reference agent-149638 adlib-agent-149638 7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8 The Fitzwilliam Museum reference agent-209819 adlib-agent-209819 9e33662d-f007-37cf-b08a-3b352982e58d Canton workshop reference term-106853 adlib-term-106853 25492eb4-1164-35eb-8dce-3601486f3415 19th Century reference term-128516 adlib-term-128516 a7e60cca-458e-39da-9d9f-07698e4158eb literal China China country literal Guangzhou Guangzhou region Guangzhou Height mm 182 Width mm 290 reference term-106211 adlib-term-106211 a643b236-c3c1-3854-ba79-8c4da8aa6dfc watercolour reference agent-149638 adlib-agent-149638 7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8 The Fitzwilliam Museum reference term-8815 adlib-term-8815 d3abddec-eb50-3239-8d87-7fe37b5dee27 Chinese reference term-147625 adlib-term-147625 2914c5fd-f9db-331c-b324-afa3257924e0 Chinese export art reference term-147704 adlib-term-147704 fba0aee4-172e-38d0-93df-2363af8dbf76 Chinese export watercolour

reference term-106211 adlib-term-106211 a643b236-c3c1-3854-ba79-8c4da8aa6dfc watercolour

watercolour watercolour and body colour on pith paper reference term-106211 adlib-term-106211 a643b236-c3c1-3854-ba79-8c4da8aa6dfc watercolour object PART