Two Low Tables with Ornamental Objects
19th century
Medium
Pen and ink and gouache
Dimensions
Overall: 14 1/8 x 18 3/8 in. (35.9 x 46.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.547.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing from 19th-century China captures two low tables adorned with ornamental objects, rendered in pen and ink with gouache. Created by an anonymous artist, the work showcases the meticulous detail typical of Qing dynasty decorative arts. The medium combines the precision of ink lines with the rich, opaque colors of gouache, allowing the artist to highlight intricate patterns, textures, and the subtle play of light on lacquered surfaces and carved details. Such studies often served as records of fine craftsmanship or designs for furniture makers during a period when Chinese in...