Collection

Woman Making Tea Balls

Pu-Qua

  • Woman Making Tea Balls 2
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-5531/11
Author
Pu-Qua
Name
Woman Making Tea Balls
Date of creation
late 17th – early 18th c.
Country
China
Culture
Far East
Technique
etching watercolor embossing
Material
Indian ink paper
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
29.3 x 24.4
Information about author
Author
Pu-Qua
Artist's lifetime
1494–1552
Biography
Chinese artist
Object description
A woman is depicted sitting at a square table on an egg-shaped ceramic chair. The full face image of the woman is turned two-thirds towards the observer's right. The woman is wearing traditional pink hanfu clothes with long sleeves with white edgings, and a short dark blue jacket decorated with black stripes and golden floral ornaments. The woman’s hair is smooth, pulled back from the face and gathered in a bun on the neck. The woman is depicted with jewelry, in particular a gold earring in the ear and bracelets on her hands. The woman is rolling the tea leaves into balls and putting them on a straw tray. The etching comes from the album "Chinese Customs and National Costumes", which includes 60 images of Chinese people engaged in various activities. Each image is accompanied by an explanation in German; some of them are written in French. In the eighteenth century, artists in Canton (Guangzhou) in southern China created such paintings for Europeans seeking to learn more about China and its people.
Inscriptions
In the lower left corner, there is a calligraphic inscription "Pu-Qua.Canton. Delin'' made in Indian ink. In the lower right corner, there is an inscription "Dadley.London.Sculpt". There is a number "11" in the upper right corner.