Woman with a pipe

Chinese, for the European market

Not on view

A Chinese woman in furs pauses from smoking her pipe to gaze at the viewer in this seductive reverse-painted mirror decorated in Canton for the European market. In the eighteenth century, France and England began shipping silvered mercury glass to Canton, where specialized workshops decorated them to suit the taste of European consumers. Among the most popular subjects were beautiful women. This example probably represents a courtesan, who beckons the viewer into a space of fantasy and material desires.

Woman with a pipe, Reverse-painted crown glass, imitation lacquer frame, Chinese, for the European market

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Woman with a pipe, Reverse-painted crown glass, imitation lacquer frame, Chinese, for the European market
Woman with a pipe, Reverse-painted crown glass, imitation lacquer frame, Chinese, for the European market

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