Shantou (Swatow), Guangdong (Kwangtung) province, China: a woman with prominent coiffure. Photograph by John Thomson, 1871.

  • Thomson, J. (John), 1837-1921.
Date:
1871
Reference:
19888i
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About this work

Description

A woman with a swept-back, raised, hair-style and white (bone?) earrings. Another style of female coiffure in a different clan in Shantou from that shown in Wellcome Library no. 19886i. In Chaozhou and Shantou, while the main population group are the Teochew, there are also other ethnic groups, such as the Hakka, Punti and others. Each group has its own dialect and distinct culture and customs. Even among the Teochew there are many clans. Among each clan there are also marked cultural, linguistic and culinary differences. Throughout the 19th century, clan disputes were a regular recurrence in the region

Publication/Creation

1871

Physical description

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion

Lettering

29 Swatow woman Bears Thomson's negative number: "811"

Notes

This is one of a collection of original glass negatives made by John Thomson. The negatives, made between 1868 and 1872, were purchased from Thomson by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1921

References note

John Thomson, Illustrations of China and its people, London, 1873-4, vol. 2, plate X, fig. 29, "Coiffure of Swatow woman"
China through the lens of John Thomson, 1868-1872, Beijing: Beijing World Art Museum, 2009, p. 144 (reproduced)

Reference

Wellcome Collection 19888i

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