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

  • Thomson, J. (John), 1837-1921.
Date:
1869
Reference:
19658i
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About this work

Description

Two women wearing elaborate embroidered costumes standing in a garden. The one in the foreground carries a large folding fan. This female member of Mr Yang's family dressed in rich satin outfit is standing with her maid in a rocky garden. According to Thomson, Manchu ladies, in terms of beauty and grace, appeared more pleasing to a Western eye. While admiring their unbound, naturally small feet, he also praised their robes as always elegant: 'The full robes of a lady . . . of the wealthier classes are highly picturesque and remarkable also for the richness and beauty of their materials. The costume is ample, graceful and well adapted to the climate, light in summer and warm enough in winter.'

Publication/Creation

1869

Physical description

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion

Lettering

Manchu ladies in garden Bears Thomson's negative number: "705"

References note

John Thomson, Illustrations of China and its people, London, 1873-4, vol IV pl. XIII fig. 32, "Manchu ladies"
China through the lens of John Thomson, 1868-1872, Beijing: Beijing World Art Museum, 2009, p. 35 (reproduced)

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

Reference

Wellcome Collection 19658i

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