Chinese Watercolour Painting On Pith Paper - 19th Century Material - Pear Wood especially among Mer communities

especially among Mer communities

Pony trains were a common sight on mountain trails as they wended their way along the old silk routes

The sides of the cabinet are painted with cloud fungus designs

This particular piece has a cracked ice shelf at the base

repairs consistent with use

Chinese Watercolour Painting On Pith Paper - 19th Century Material - Pear Wood especially among Mer communitiesThis excellent antique Chinese pith painting is painted on pith paper and dates from the 19th century. Pith paintings were painted in China for the European export market which was enjoying a fascination with all things Chinese and Chinoiserie. Here, a domestic scene plays out with two characters in traditional dress. Pith paper is the spongy cellular tissue in the stem of a small tree called Tetrapanax Papyrifera, native to southwest China. Pith is