Album Containing 145 Exquisite 19th Century Chinese Gouache Pith Paintings

Album Containing 145 Exquisite 19th Century Chinese Gouache Pith Paintings

Full leather covers with gilt and black embossed lines. Commercial album produced by M. W. & Co., London likely sold as a photo album or scrapbook. Measures approximately 11 x 9 x 2 inches. Spine is expired; boards are loosening. Extensive rubbing to edges with moderate soiling. Book contains 29 gilt edged leaves; 2 are loose. Almost all the pith paintings show some amount of wear as typical for this material, which is actually the pith layer of the endemic Chinese tree, Tetrapanax papyrifer, or Rice-paper plant. The thin layers of pith become dry and fragile and tends to split easily. Paintings are glued to the page. Sizes range from 3 x 4 inches to 4.5 x 6 inches to 7 x 9 inches. Fair Condition. See scans for examples of damage. Will be packed very carefully with extensive padding. Extra shipping will be required.

Despite any forgiving due to flawed plates, I am absolutely and totally smitten with these unique artforms. Pith paintings provided an inexpensive offering to 19th century tourists in China--at least compared to silk embroideries, carved ivory or stunning Chinese painted porcelains. Likely shunned by the art world, it is thought that these finely detailed gouache paintings were executed by porcelain decorators and marketed as single pieces or sold in albums.

Each painting shows meticulous brushwork retaining their vivid colors. In many cases, the gouache appears to hover over the pith providing a depth of color and saturation which must have pleased the artist. The website chinese-porcelain-art.com contains a nice overview of pith paintings.

This album containing 145 examples holds a bookplate dated August 18, 1881, for Anna M. Brown. Subjects range from Chinese junks, beautiful bird and butterfly paintings, occupational scenes, musicians, scenic landscapes to full-page floral pieces. Because pith paintings (sometimes called rice paper paintings) were painted by craftsman instead of "artists", art historians point out that the pith paintings are never signed.

From an article in the March 1956 issue of "Antiques", Margaret Cobb writes that painted subjects often included vegetables and fruits, the story of tea and "punishment" scenes. While this album lacks fruits and vegetables, there is one image of a handcuffed peasant being whipped. Cobb also describes "framed" pith paintings with tinted ribbon, fabrics or silk brocade but this particular album only has several such exemplars.

Should be seen to be appreciated. Please examine scans provided to get an idea of the amazing beauty of pith paintings.