Iris
This is a Chinese export watercolour depicting an iris (Iris species). The illustration features a single plant with two opened iris flowers displaying the characteristic form with six petals - three upright standards and three drooping falls. The flowers show blue outer petals with yellow and pink centers, and pink buds are visible on the flowering stem. The plant displays the typical sword-like leaves of iris, long and narrow with parallel venation, rendered in various shades of green. Some leaves show yellowing at the tips, indicating natural aging. The plant grows from a visible rhizome at the base with fibrous roots extending below. A Chinese inscription at the lower right corner reads “yegan hua射干花”, iris. 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.
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1973) by Fairhaven, Henry Rogers Broughton
Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour
Watercolour
Bodycolour
White bodycolour
Support
composed of
paper
Paper
Height 318 mm
Width 397 mm
Watercolour : Watercolour and some bodycolour heightened with white on thin paper, backed with second sheet, and both tipped in on the album sheet
Accession number: PD.133-1973.1
Primary reference Number: 32410
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Iris" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/32410 Accessed: 2025-12-17 21:01:50
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/32410
|title=Iris
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-17 21:01:50|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-32410
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...