Chinese Export School. Album of warrior pith paintings, Yut Shing, Canton, 19th century

Sold for £2,100

Chinese Export School. Album of pith paintings, Yut Shing, Canton, 19th century, 12 miniatures in watercolour and bodycolour on pith paper (33.5 x 21.5 cm), some heightened with metallic pigments, each mounted to a separate sheet of laid paper and with mounted border of blue silk ribbon, offsetting, a few marks in plain backgrounds, ribbon lifting or creased in places (absent along bottom edge of second miniature), face of the third miniature slightly smudged, chip to background of ninth miniature not touching image, possible customs stamp '150 Yutshing' in red ink to front pastedown, contemporary Chinese binding of patterned red silk over limp paper boards, green silk ties, wear to bottom edges of covers, delamination at lower outer corner of rear cover, folio (36.5 x 24.5 cm)

(Qty: 1)

Most of the miniatures depict swordsmen (and one swordswoman) in various poses; there is also a dual-axe wielder, a juggler, an archer, and two unarmed figures. All are pictured in elaborate costume rendered in fine detail, and four of the figures are in dragon robes.