Earl and Rymer has dated these Chinese Pith Paper Paintings to the 19th Century.
Each miniature leaf is painstakingly hand-painted in gouache, a medium that sits on the surface of the cellular pith to create a luminous, almost three-dimensional effect that remains remarkably bright over a century later.
The collection serves as a record of the period, featuring a diverse cast of characters including high-ranking officials, musicians and figures in courtly life.
The set is housed in the original Victorian-era cardboard presentation box with a glass lid.
The gouache pigments remain exceptionally vivid and saturated. As is characteristic of this fragile, organic medium, there are some natural fractures and peripheral chips to several of the pith sheets (as shown in the photographs), six of the twelve portraits have had repairs to the back . The original box shows typical age-related wear to the paper trim but remains structurally sound and provides excellent provenance.
Earl and Rymer has dated these Chinese Pith Paper Paintings to the 19th Century.
Earl & rymer specialise in beautiful, interesting and unusual decorative antiques and art.
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Set of Twelve 19th Century Chinese Pith Paper Paintings
