Pair of watercolors of emperor and empress, "Tongcao", Guangzhou, 19th century

Watercolor on tracing paper. They represent an emperor and an empress, accompanied by Qing court officials. They are seated on their throne in front of an extensively decorated panel and in a palace where one can see a floor ornamented with lozenges filled with flowers. Preserved in a frame. It presents faults due to the fragility of the material and age.

The port of Canton (Guangzhou) was the only one open to western merchants from 1957 to 1842 for six months a year. They traded mainly in silk or tea, but the influx of visitors led to a market for objects produced expressly for export. Paintings on a material known as rice paper, abundant in the area and Taiwan and locally called "Tongcao", became popular because of its ease of transport and because it was less expensive and less known. The oldest known Chinese watercolors painted on pith date from the mid-1820s.

Size: 30.50 x 20 cm approx. Size with frame: 46.50 x 35 cm