Chinese tradesmen and street-vendors. Drawings, 18--.

Date:
1800-1899
Reference:
727429i
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About this work

Description

An album containing 60 folios, each with a drawing on the recto and another on the verso. All drawings are very fine ink drawings with lettering on the margin of the page, explaining a variety of professions from vendors to street performers, many popular at the end of Qing Dynasty up until 1911 but subsequently obsolete

Publication/Creation

1800-1899

Physical description

1 album (60 leaves, 119 drawings) : ink drawn with the brush ; album 30.5 x 31 x 3.4 cm

Contents

Fol. 1r : mai yu tou seller of taro (similar to yam), with a traditional scale in hand, weighing
Fol. 1v : mai da tong : blind seller of bamboo sticks
Fol. 2r : mai feng che : seller of toy windmills
Fol. 2v : jiao xian lu : a man heating clams in a large stove
Fol. 3v : mai luo bai suan : seller of radishes and chives
Fol. 3r : mai weng gang : seller of big earthenware jars
Fol. 4r : qi xia zai : A banner, signifying the Manchu descent of a person according to an administrative division of the Eight Banners during the Qing Dynasty to regulate Manchu society
Fol. 4v : mai shu bi; da liang shu bi (on the banner in hand) : seller of traditional combs
Fol. 5r : xiu xie : woman embroiderer of shoes
Fol. 5v : fang su xian : woman spinner of tassel threads
Fol. 6r : jiao si : woman twisting skein using a machine
Fol. 6v : zuo su s [?] : woman holding a long pipe, unknown activity
Fol. 7r : mai lao shu yao : seller of rat and mouse poison carrying a dozen mice on a pole with advertising slogan
Fol. 8r : mai xi : seller of bamboo mats
Fol. 7v : zuo wei juan : woman embroidering patterns on hats
Fol. 8v : tiao wang : a man using spudger to make nets
Fol. 9r : blank [page removed]
Fol. 9v : xiu nu xie : a woman embroiderer of girl's shoes
Fol. 10r : nai ma : seller of handkerchiefs and scarves
Fol. 10v : mai shou jin bu : wet nurse holding a parasol
Fol. 11r : cai yi : woman tailor cutting cloth
Fol. 11v : woman rinsing threads
Fol. 12r : crab seller
Fol. 12v prawn seller
Fol. 13r performer
Fol. 13v cotton beater (?)
Fol. 14r bookseller (mu yu?)
Fol. 14v rice barrel lid maker
Fol. 15r seller?
Fol. 15v watermelon seller
Fol. 16r feng shui reader
Fol. 16v youth practising calligraphy
Fol. 17r carving for woodblock print
Fol. 17v basket weaver
Fol. 18r fish lantern? seller
Fol. 18v drum tactics performer
Fol. 19r spear seller
Fol. 19v lady spinning thread
Fol. 20r basket maker (?)
Fol. 20v soup noodle seller
Fol. 21r dragon boat mobile entertainer
Fol. 21v metalsmith
Fol. 22r hat tail maker
Fol. 22v mountain water seller
Fol. 23r gypsy girl
Fol. 23v pig feeder
Fol. 24r Buddha's hand fruit seller
Fol. 24v [bird catcher]
Fol. 25r potted plant seller
Fol. 25v physiognomy specialist
Fol. 26r goods arrangement
Fol. 26v carpenter
Fol. 27r sugar cane (?) seller
Fol. 27v "boluo" chicken seller
Fol. 28r mad young girl
Fol. 28v medicine grinder (?)
Fol. 29r barber (?)
Fol. 29v drum metalsmith
Fol. 30r singing entertainer
Fol. 30v duck and goose egg seller
Fol. 31r domestic weighing scale seller
Fol. 31v woodblock printing board [does not refer to person]
Fol. 32r needlemaker
Fol. 32v selling shoes and rope
Fol. 33r selling fireworks
Fol. 34r woman splitting hemp threads (?)
Fol. 33v
Fol. 34v woman picking out stray cotton threads
Fol. 35r
Fol. 35v selling hemp
Fol. 36r mending bowls
Fol. 36v betel nut seller
Fol. 37r
Fol. 37v
Fol. 38r
Fol. 38v nightsoil collector
Fol. 39r sharpening the large saw
Fol. 39v sunning paint
Fol. 40r glass bottle seller (?)
Fol. 40v tea snack seller
Fol. 41r wooden materials seller
Fol. 41v cosmetic lady (?)
Fol. 42r old digger
Fol. 42v selling needles
Fol. 43r selling mooncake
Fol. 43v delivering chicken and wine
Fol. 44r old matchmaker
Fol. 44v selling kite stick
Fol. 45r rolling cloth
Fol. 45v changing money (?)
Fol. 46r selling hemp husks
Fol. 46v selling roast meat
Fol. 47r selling preserved vegetables
Fol. 47v fisherman (?)
Fol. 48r seller of antidote to snake poison
Fol. 48v grinding rice
Fol. 49v selling swords
Fol. 49r
Fol. 50r rat catcher
Fol. 50v
Fol. 51r hat seller
Fol. 51v gourd and vegetable seller
Fol. 52r sesame oil grinder
Fol. 52v plum soup seller
Fol. 53r religious text seller
Fol. 53v wild racoon seller (?)
Fol. 54r new publication seller
Fol. 54v silkworm cultivator
Fol. 55r melon sweet seller
Fol. 55v newspaper delivery man
Fol. 56r
Fol. 56v
Fol. 57r
Fol. 57v
Fol. 58r rope seller
Fol. 58v monk
Fol. 59r selling fur
Fol. 59v grinding mirror
Fol. 60r
Fol. 60v selling joss sticks

Reference

Wellcome Collection 727429i

Type/Technique

Where to find it

  • album containing 60 folios

    LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

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