China: a Manchu lady with her maid standing beside a bronze burner, Beijing. Photograph by John Thomson, 1869.

A Manchu lady stands next to a bronze burner with her elderly maid. The lady wears a yunjian (cloud collar). The lady gazes full face at the camera, while the maid's head is turned slightly away. The maid holds the lady's water-pipe in her right hand, while her left hand is held by her mistress. Smoking was a popular pastime among Manchu women, not only to divert boredom, but because it was considered to be a sociable activity. Although many people smoked opium, the water-pipe was more widely available; it was also a more soothing choice on a hot summer's day. The same subject as Thomson's negative number 711a, probably one half of a stereo pair.