Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 18

Unknown
Set of Twelve Antique Chinese Painted Bird Studies on Pith Paper

19th Century

About the Item

Set of twelve antique Chinese painted bird studies on pith paper Chinese, 19th Century Panel: Height 20cm, width 32cm Frame: Height 35.5cm, width 47cm, depth 1.5cm This fantastic collection of ornithological paintings wow with their vibrant colours. Depicting a variety of species including sparrows and peacocks, the paintings are rendered on a pith paper base which allows pools of watercolour paint to sit on the surface, creating vivid patches of colour. The birds are depicted in groups of two or three, situated amongst lush shrubbery and foliage either on the ground or adorning the tree branches on which they perch. Whilst shaded details add expert dimension to the feathers of the birds, the overall picture plane has a certain flatness which is typical of Chinese painting at the time. From the beginning of the 19th century, pith paintings by local Chinese artists became highly popular with Western travellers, as easily transportable mementos of local subjects. They were the perfect souvenir for Western tourists, and were often glued into photo albums for transport home. Each painting is ensconced in a later added painted wooden frame. As vibrant works of art with a charming character, these twelve paintings are an insight into the historical exchanges occurring between the East and the West.
  • Creation Year:
    19th Century
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 13.98 in (35.5 cm)Width: 18.51 in (47 cm)Depth: 0.4 in (1 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 175331stDibs: LU674313879452

More From This Seller

View All
Antique Set of Twelve Chinese Pith Paintings Depicting Butterflies
Located in London, GB
Antique set of twelve Chinese pith paintings depicting butterflies Chinese, 19th Century Panel: Height 19cm, width 28cm Frame: Height 35cm, width 43.5cm, depth 1.5cm This superb set...
Category

19th Century Animal Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paper, Watercolor

Set of Twelve Antique Chinese Pith Paintings with Flowers and Butterflies
Located in London, GB
Set of twelve antique Chinese pith paintings with flowers and butterflies Chinese, 19th Century Height 33cm, width 38cm, depth 1.5cm This delightful collection of paintings is craf...
Category

19th Century Animal Paintings

Materials

Paint, Rice Paper

Antique Orientalist Oil on Board 'Desert Bedouin', by José Benito Ortega
By José Benito Ortega
Located in London, GB
Antique Orientalist Oil on Board 'Desert Bedouin', by Spanish Artist Ortega Spanish, early 20th Century Frame: Height 51cm, width 59cm, depth 2cm Board: Height 44cm, width 53cm, depth 0.5cm Fluidly painted, this vibrant oil on board depicts a dusty Orientalist scene. Four Bedouin ride camels alongside a flurry of goats, carrying lambs and hens in saddlebags. Other figures clothed in Middle Eastern garments walk with them, and the busy scene fades into a dusty, evening landscape. The colour palette is vibrant and hued with dusky pinks and oranges, giving the impression that these Bedouin are returning back to camp. The cropped composition also gives a dynamic feel to the picture: a glance into early 20th Century desert life. The present painting was created by Spanish artist José Benito Ortega...
Category

Early 20th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil, Board

Set of Four Orientalist Landscape Paintings by van Wijk
Located in London, GB
Set of four Orientalist landscape paintings by van Wijk Dutch, 1879 Canvas: Height 35cm, width 65cm Largest frame: Height 41cm, width 71cm, depth 4cm Smallest frame: Height 39.5cm, width 69.5cm, depth 4cm This set of four Orientalist landscape scenes is by the Dutch artist Henri van Wijk (1833-c.1889). Van Wijk is known for his landscape paintings, and often worked in the Orientalist genre - these paintings in the Mayfair Gallery collection are a fine example of his work in this style. Each scene is filled with a small, naturalistic group of figures and animals. The figures, who either shepherd their flocks or ride on horses...
Category

Late 19th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Oil

Painting of horses and farm animals by Herring the Younger
By John Frederick Herring Jr
Located in London, GB
Painting of horses and farm animals by Herring the Younger British, 19th Century Frame: Height 83cm, width 97cm Canvas: Height 64cm, width 77cm This charming painting is by John Fre...
Category

19th Century Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

19th Century Orientalist oil Painting of a Desert Scene by González Manso
Located in London, GB
19th century Orientalist oil painting of a desert scene by González Manso Spanish, 1893 Panel: Height 14cm, width 20cm Frame: Height 28.5cm, width 34cm, depth 6cm This captivating o...
Category

Late 19th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

You May Also Like

Fox amidst the Hay Bales on Misty Morning in a Field in the English Countryside
Located in Preston, GB
Fox amidst the Hay Bales on a Misty Morning in a Field in the English Countryside, by British Artist Andrew Hutchinson Art measures 22 x 10 inches F...
Category

2010s Contemporary Animal Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paper, Watercolor, Gouache, Board, Foam Board, Illustration Board

Chicken
Located in Columbia, MO
John Selburg was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. He holds a BFA in Drawing, Sculpture, and Graphic Design from Bradley University (2006), and an MFA from the University of Misso...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paint...

Materials

Archival Paper, Watercolor, Graphite

Amphibious Spoonbill Flycatcher
Located in Columbia, MO
John Selburg was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. He holds a BFA in Drawing, Sculpture, and Graphic Design from Bradley University (2006), and an MFA from the University of Misso...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paint...

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Hibernating Bears
By Kat Kinnick
Located in Bozeman, MT
Illustrating wildlife and the wilderness of the High Desert of New Mexico, Kat Kinnick works to inspire a culture of connectedness to nature. She's inspired by the magic and inexplic...
Category

2010s Contemporary Animal Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Moonlit
By Kat Kinnick
Located in Bozeman, MT
Illustrating wildlife and the wilderness of the High Desert of New Mexico, Kat Kinnick works to inspire a culture of connectedness to nature. She's inspired by the magic and inexplic...
Category

2010s Contemporary Animal Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Cowboy Hunting Pronghorn Deer ("American Antelope") in Watercolor and Gouache
Located in Soquel, CA
Cowboy Hunting Pronghorn Deer ("American Antelope") in Watercolor and Gouache Detailed western scene by H. Rich (American, 20th Century). A cowboy is on a ridge, with two horses, ha...
Category

1960s American Modern Landscape Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Recently Viewed

View All