IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 32424 accession number: PD.133-1973.15 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Thursday 28 August 2025 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: This is a Chinese export watercolour depicting morning glory (Ipomoea species). The illustration features the plant's characteristic climbing habit with twining stems that spiral and curve. Three prominent trumpet-shaped flowers are displayed in various orientations, each exhibiting the distinctive funnel form with soft purple to lavender coloration that grades from deeper purple at the petal edges to pale lilac or white toward the throat. The flowers show the characteristic five-fold symmetry with subtle pleating. The heart-shaped leaves have cordate form and are arranged alternately along the green stems. The twining stems demonstrate the plant's vigorous climbing nature, with tendrils and natural curves that show how morning glories attach themselves to supports. A Chinese inscription at the lower right corner reads “qianniuhua 牽牛花”, morning glory. 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. title: drawing LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints collection: Broughton Collection STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/32424 SUBJECTS ------------------- plant plant TECHNIQUES ---------- watercolour and bodycolour heightened with white on thin paper, backed with second sheet, and both tipped in on the album sheet watercolour CATEGORIES ------ category: drawing DATING ------ culture: 19th Century CREATORS -------- maker: Canton workshop DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Height units: mm value: 313 dimension: Width units: mm value: 398