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Mandarin boat
This image depicts a boat for transporting officials. The boat has low bow and high stern, and a mast in the form of an inverted V. This can carry two sails and travel against the wind. On the top of the mast, there is a flag written with "The Imperial Exam", and thus suggests that this boat is carrying an official responsible for overseeing the exam. However, the figure in the cabin is not dressed in official robes but ordinary clothing. At the stern , there is a large red flag, four blue pennants, two lantern on handles, trident and halberds. The parasol at the bow is also part of the processional insignia. At the bow, there is a corridor with join curved roof and hall. In the main hall, through the ornamented window, we can see a figure, who is likely an official.
Height: 250 mm
Width: 337 mm
Method of acquisition: Unknown by Unknown
19th Century
Circa
1800
-
Circa
1850
Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour
Watercolour
Bodycolour
White highlights
Ink
Support composed of pith paper
Drawing : Watercolour, bodycolour and ink with heightening in white on pith paper
Accession number: 4173.1
Primary reference Number: 185651
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Mandarin boat" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/185651 Accessed: 2025-04-23 03:59:50
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/185651
|title=Mandarin boat
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-04-23 03:59:50|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-185651
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp82/large_4173_281_29_201106_amt49_dc2.jpg" alt="Mandarin boat" class="img-fluid" /> <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Mandarin boat</figcaption> </figure> </div>
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