IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 32415 accession number: PD.133-1973.6 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Thursday 28 August 2025 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: This is a Chinese export watercolour depicting a green orchid (Orchidaceae species). The illustration features a single plant with a tall flowering spike displaying several pale yellow-green orchid flowers with the characteristic three-petaled form and small red centers typical of many terrestrial orchids. The flowers are arranged in a loose raceme along the central stem, with some buds visible at the top of the spike. The plant displays long, strap-like leaves radiating from the base in a fan-like arrangement, characteristic of many orchid species. The leaves are rendered in various shades of green with prominent parallel venation, showing the typical linear form of orchid foliage. At the base, a small portion of the root system is visible, showing the fibrous roots typical of terrestrial orchids. A Chinese inscription at the lower left corner reads “qing lanhua 青蘭花”, green orchid. The painting demonstrates the fine brushwork characteristic of Chinese export art from the late 18th or early 19th century, combining traditional Chinese flower-and-bird painting style and Western botanical illustration. title: drawing LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints collection: Broughton Collection STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/32415 SUBJECTS ------------------- plant plant TECHNIQUES ---------- watercolour and some white on thin paper, backed with second sheet, and both tipped in on the album sheet watercolour CATEGORIES ------ category: drawing DATING ------ culture: 19th Century CREATORS -------- maker: Canton workshop DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Height units: mm value: 314 dimension: Width units: mm value: 390