A full-face man sitting on the trunk is turned three-quarters to the left. He holds an open book in his left hand, and in his right hand, there is a pipe on a long bamboo mouthpiece. The man's head is bald. On the back of his head is a strand of black hair, which turns into a thin braid. The man wears a long white shirt with vertical cuts on both sides and long, straight pants. A purse and a string of beads are attached to the belt. Books stand and lie on the mat in front of the man. The etching comes from the album "Chinese Customs and National Costumes", which includes 60 images of Chinese people engaged in various activities. An explanation in German accompanies each image; some 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.