{"title":"Chinese Watercolours, Pith Paintings \u0026 Herbarium: Minnie Wright 1858","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis beautiful collection of Chinese works were preserved in a mid-19th-century album belonging to a Minnie Wight of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. As well as beautiful examples of Chinese paintings on pith and floral watercolours, the collection includes a watercolour of a Chinese schoolmaster, inscribed 'Morton sends to Minnie', and there are a number of herbarium specimens collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, between 1859 and 1862. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863. As a whole, the collection is a fascinating record of the history, activities and socio-cultural exchanges taking place between China and the West in the 19th century.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"chinese-herbarium-pressed-wildflower-specimen-c-1859-ka-201","title":"Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflower Specimen – c.1859","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original c.1859 pressed leaf Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflower.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unusual plant specimen was collected in China in the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wright of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe specimen is affixed onto pale blue paper using cream cotton thread. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52020362019145,"sku":"KA-201","price":21.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/ka-201.jpg?v=1743514135"},{"product_id":"chinese-herbarium-pressed-cotton-leaf-flower-specimen-1862-ka-202","title":"Chinese Herbarium Pressed Cotton Leaf \u0026 Flower Specimen 1862","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original 1862 pressed leaf Chinese Herbarium Pressed Cotton Leaf \u0026amp; Flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unusual plant specimen was collected in China in the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wright of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe specimen is affixed onto laid paper using cream cotton thread. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52020362084681,"sku":"KA-202","price":19.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/ka-202.jpg?v=1743514136"},{"product_id":"chinese-herbarium-pressed-flowers-from-kau-shing-qiaosizhen-hangzhou-1859-ka-205","title":"Chinese Herbarium Pressed Leaves from Kau Shing (Qiaosizhen, Hangzhou?) 1859","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original 1859 pressed leaf Chinese Herbarium Pressed Leaves from Kau Shing (Qiaosizhen, Hangzhou?).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unusual sheet of plant specimens were collected in China in the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wright of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe specimens are affixed onto thin paper using cream cotton thread. Laid down on backing paper with blindstamp lower right.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52020363034953,"sku":"KA-205","price":110.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/ka-205.jpg?v=1743514140"},{"product_id":"chinese-herbarium-pressed-flowers-from-kau-shing-qiaosizhen-hangzhou-1859-ka-209","title":"Chinese Herbarium Pressed Flowers from Kau Shing (Qiaosizhen, Hangzhou?) 1859","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original 1859 pressed leaf Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers from Joss House at Kau Shing (Qiaosizhen, Hangzhou?).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unusual sheet of plant specimens were collected in China in the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wright of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe specimens are affixed onto Waterlow \u0026amp; Sons watermarked laid envelope paper using cream cotton thread. Blindstamp upper centre. Comes with separate accompanying backing paper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52020363067721,"sku":"KA-209","price":110.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/ka-209.jpg?v=1743514140"},{"product_id":"chinese-flowers-fruit-original-mid-c19th-qing-dynasty-watercolour-painting-kb-202","title":"Chinese Flowers \u0026 Fruit – Original mid-C19th Qing Dynasty watercolour painting","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century watercolour painting Chinese Flowers \u0026amp; Fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful miniature Chinese watercolour painting dating from the mid-19th century. This is one of a set of eight that we have for sale, depicting native flowers, fruit and insects (available for sale separately, see stock numbers KB-202 to KB-209). Highly decorative, the paintings would look superb displayed together.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn watercolour with touches of white bodycolour. On thin Chinese paper laid down on cream wove backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52021403582793,"sku":"KB-202","price":72.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KB-202_12f7431a-96ac-4c74-a494-511b788c226f.jpg?v=1780484586"},{"product_id":"chinese-hydrangea-flower-original-mid-c19th-qing-dynasty-watercolour-painting-kb-206","title":"Chinese Hydrangea Flower – Original mid-C19th Qing Dynasty watercolour painting","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century watercolour painting Chinese Hydrangea Flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful miniature Chinese watercolour painting dating from the mid-19th century. This is one of a set of eight that we have for sale, depicting native flowers, fruit and insects (available for sale separately, see stock numbers KB-202 to KB-209). Highly decorative, the paintings would look superb displayed together.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn thin Chinese paper laid down on cream wove backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52021404303689,"sku":"KB-206","price":72.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KB-206_0155e781-04c0-4a28-b1de-e46c22da5dad.jpg?v=1780484412"},{"product_id":"chinese-magnolia-flowers-original-mid-c19th-qing-dynasty-watercolour-painting-kb-208","title":"Chinese Magnolia Flowers – Original mid-C19th Qing Dynasty watercolour painting","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century watercolour painting Chinese Magnolia Flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful miniature Chinese watercolour painting dating from the mid-19th century. This is one of a set of eight that we have for sale, depicting native flowers, fruit and insects (available for sale separately, see stock numbers KB-202 to KB-209). Highly decorative, the paintings would look superb displayed together.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn thin Chinese paper laid down on cream wove backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52021404336457,"sku":"KB-208","price":54.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KB-208_cb0d7d32-5422-4895-833c-f09a98523739.jpg?v=1780484528"},{"product_id":"anon-herbarium-pressed-wildflowers-hogg-farm-england-original-1863-mixed-media-kd-589","title":"Anon., Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers, Hogg Farm, England – 1863","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original 1863 mixed media – Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers, Hogg Farm, England.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis sheet of plant specimens were collected at 'Hogg Farm' the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wight of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pale blue paper laid down on backing paper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541771080009,"sku":"KD-589","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-589.jpg?v=1780569815"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-orange-lily-flower-with-beetle-insect-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-577","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Orange Lily Flower with Beetle Insect – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Orange Lily Flower with Beetle Insect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541774324041,"sku":"KD-577","price":36.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-577.jpg?v=1780569882"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-quince-fruit-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-572","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Quince Fruit – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Quince Fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541776322889,"sku":"KD-572","price":38.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-572.jpg?v=1780569922"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-pink-rose-flower-with-butterfly-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-576","title":"Chinese School, Pink Rose Flower with Butterfly – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Pink Rose Flower with Butterfly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541776585033,"sku":"KD-576","price":38.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-576.jpg?v=1780569934"},{"product_id":"anon-chinese-herbarium-pressed-wildflowers-from-the-grand-canal-original-1859-mixed-media-kd-586","title":"Anon., Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers from the Grand Canal – 1859","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original 1859 mixed media – Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers from the Grand Canal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unusual sheet of plant specimens were collected in China in the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wight of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn watermarked laid paper with blindstamp upper centre.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541777371465,"sku":"KD-586","price":38.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-586.jpg?v=1780569944"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-persimmon-fruit-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-569","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Persimmon Fruit – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Persimmon Fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541791756617,"sku":"KD-569","price":52.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-569.jpg?v=1780570114"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-carrot-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-570","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Carrot – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Carrot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541791953225,"sku":"KD-570","price":52.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-570.jpg?v=1780570126"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-loquat-fruit-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-571","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Loquat Fruit – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Loquat Fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541792870729,"sku":"KD-571","price":52.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-571.jpg?v=1780570138"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-pomelo-fruit-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-573","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Pomelo Fruit – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Pomelo Fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541793329481,"sku":"KD-573","price":52.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-573.jpg?v=1780570150"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-lotus-root-plant-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-575","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Lotus Root Plant – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Lotus Root Plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541794312521,"sku":"KD-575","price":52.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-575.jpg?v=1780570163"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-rice-field-workers-original-mid-19th-century-watercolour-painting-kd-582","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Rice Field Workers – Mid-19th-century watercolour painting","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century watercolour painting – Chinese School, Chinese Rice Field Workers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful miniature Chinese watercolour painting dating from the mid-19th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn paper laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541796475209,"sku":"KD-582","price":64.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-582.jpg?v=1780570229"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-fisherman-with-lift-net-original-mid-19th-century-watercolour-painting-kd-583","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Fisherman with Lift Net – Mid-19th-century watercolour painting","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century watercolour painting – Chinese School, Chinese Fisherman with Lift Net.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful miniature Chinese watercolour painting dating from the mid-19th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn paper laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541796966729,"sku":"KD-583","price":64.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-583.jpg?v=1780570240"},{"product_id":"anon-chinese-herbarium-pressed-wildflowers-original-c-1859-mixed-media-kd-587","title":"Anon., Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers – c.1859","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original c.1859 mixed media – Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unusual sheet of plant specimens were collected in China in the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wight of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn thin paper laid down on backing paper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541797228873,"sku":"KD-587","price":68.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-587.jpg?v=1780570249"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-mandarin-orange-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-574","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Mandarin Orange – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Mandarin Orange.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541798244681,"sku":"KD-574","price":78.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-574.jpg?v=1780570269"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-grouper-fish-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-580","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Grouper Fish – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Grouper Fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541798965577,"sku":"KD-580","price":98.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-580.jpg?v=1780570298"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-chinese-silver-carp-fish-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-581","title":"Chinese School, Chinese Silver Carp Fish – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Chinese Silver Carp Fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in iridescent paint on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541799424329,"sku":"KD-581","price":98.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-581.jpg?v=1780570310"},{"product_id":"anon-chinese-herbarium-pressed-wildflowers-from-the-grand-canal-original-1859-mixed-media-kd-588","title":"Anon., Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers from the Grand Canal – 1859","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original 1859 mixed media – Chinese Herbarium Pressed Wildflowers from the Grand Canal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unusual sheet of plant specimens were collected in China in the mid-19th century and preserved in an album belonging to a Minnie Wight of Newhaven. Little is known about Minnie Wright, but she was evidently English and her address is 'Newhaven' in 1858. Annotations accompanying the collection indicate that her grandson was called Philip Orford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer herbarium specimens date from between 1859 and 1862 and were collected at locations around the 'Great Canal' and Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. There are also two specimens collected at 'Hogg Farm, England' in 1863.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst extant plant samples from China during this period exist as part of collections compiled by travelling botanists, these rare examples were apparently collected by or for a young female, for whom the collecting of dried plants was a pastime and method of learning. She was likely connected to the British community living in China around the main trade ports of the Yangtze Delta after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn Waterlow and Sons watermarked laid envelope paper with blindstamp upper centre laid down on backing paper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541800407369,"sku":"KD-588","price":98.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-588.jpg?v=1780570319"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-yellow-crested-cockatoo-bird-on-pine-branch-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-578","title":"Chinese School, Yellow-crested Cockatoo Bird on Pine Branch – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Yellow-crested Cockatoo Bird on Pine Branch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541800866121,"sku":"KD-578","price":110.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-578.jpg?v=1780570339"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-cabots-tragopan-pheasant-bird-on-flowering-branch-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-579","title":"Chinese School, Cabot's Tragopan Pheasant Bird on Flowering Branch – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Cabot's Tragopan Pheasant Bird on Flowering Branch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful small Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541801587017,"sku":"KD-579","price":110.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-579.jpg?v=1780570350"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-prisoner-his-captors-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-584","title":"Chinese School, Prisoner \u0026 His Captors – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Prisoner \u0026amp; His Captors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn interesting Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541805420873,"sku":"KD-584","price":110.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-584.jpg?v=1780570362"},{"product_id":"chinese-school-lily-flowers-with-butterfly-original-mid-19th-century-chinese-painting-on-pith-kd-585","title":"Chinese School, Lily Flowers with Butterfly – Mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original mid-19th-century chinese painting on pith – Chinese School, Lily Flowers with Butterfly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautiful Chinese painting in watercolour on pith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicate pith paintings by local Chinese artists were collected by Western travellers and merchants from around 1825 onwards. By 1833 the monopoly of trade by the English East India Company had come to an end, opening the China trade to dozens of British companies and seeing the number of merchants and volume of trade flourish. Paintings on pith were produced in port cities to meet the Western demand for local Chinese souvenirs. Relatively inexpensive and conveniently portable, they were often glued into albums to provide protection on the long voyage home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypically the paintings would depict attractive local subjects such as cultivated flora, indigenous birds and insects, and local trades, customs and costumes. The painting style would combine a traditional Chinese approach of flattened sweeps of colour with aspects of Western influence in detail and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith paper behaves very differently from conventional rag or woodpulp paper. Rather than being plant fibres matted together into a layer, pith is composed of plant cells sliced directly from the inner tissue of the Tetrapanex papyrifera plant, native to Southern China and Taiwan. This unique composition makes it extremely vulnerable to damage by moisture and other environmental factors, becoming very brittle over time and subject to distinctive cracking. It is rare, therefore, that such paintings survive in pristine condition. Being routinely tipped onto album pages, they also often bear glue marks and related discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePith also behaves unlike conventional paper as a painting support. Watercolour and gouache paint readily absorb into the plant cells of the pith to create a rich, velvety depth of colour, and then paint pools in relief on the surface, producing exquisitely vibrant raised details, of sparkling, jewel-like intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn pith laid down on backing paper. There is an additional pith painting on the verso.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54541807649097,"sku":"KD-585","price":128.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-585.jpg?v=1780570390"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/collections\/AA22-KA-209.jpg?v=1742301396","url":"https:\/\/somersetandwood.com\/collections\/chinese-watercolours-pith-paintings-and-herbarium-minnie-wright-1858.oembed","provider":"Somerset \u0026 Wood Fine Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}