Current Location: In storage
Titles
Songbirds
Maker(s)
Youqua
Entities
Categories
Description
A watercolour drawing from the album 4171. This image depicts a pair of small songbirds perched together on a delicate flowering branch in a natural setting. The two birds display distinct sexual dimorphism characteristic of many finch or bunting species. The bird on the left has warm golden-brown plumage with a lighter, yellowish head and breast, while its companion on the right shows more contrasting coloration with a distinctive black head, grey-brown body, and subtle barred patterning on the wings and tail. Both birds possess sturdy, conical yellow-orange beaks typical of seed-eating species.The birds are positioned on a branch with compound leaves and small coral-pink to reddish flowers, possibly representing a flowering shrub or small tree. The painting demonstrates the fine brushwork characteristic of Chinese export art from the late 18th or early 19th century, combining ornithological documentation and traditional Chinese flower-and-bird painting style.
Measurements and weight
Height: 250 mm
Width: 337 mm
Acquisition and important dates
Method of acquisition: Given
(1909)
by
Bothamley, Rev. H.
Note
Export album made for the Western market
School or Style
Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour
Materials used in production
Watercolour
Bodycolour
White highlights
Ink
Components of the work
Support
composed of
pith paper
Techniques used in production
Drawing
: Watercolour, bodycolour and ink with heightening in white on pith paper, laid down with with strips of blue silk-covered paper
Identification numbers
Accession number: 4171.3
Primary reference Number: 185665
Stable URI
Audit data
Created: Tuesday 11 October 2011
Updated: Thursday 28 August 2025
Last processed: Thursday 28 August 2025
Associated departments & institutions
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
Mirador deep zoom
IIIF Manifest
