The production of flat sheets of glass had yet to be accomplished in China, so large mirror plates were imported for local artisans, who combined traditional Chinese ink painting with learned Western techniques to create new, highly desirable works of art.
Glass Painting Screens – (L) A Winding Stream And Floating Wine Cups, (R) The Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove 曲水流觞图玻璃画屏、竹林七贤图玻璃画屏
Glass | Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) | Donation by Mr. and Mrs. Wang Heng | Collection of the Thirteen Hongs Museum of Guangzhou. 玻璃｜清（1644-1911）｜王恒、冯杰伉俪捐赠｜广州十三行博物馆藏
曲水流觞图玻璃画屏
竹林七贤图玻璃画屏
The painting purports to capture for the Western viewer what life was like in China, but it’s clearly very idealised. After surviving the long journey from Canton to England, these mirror paintings would have had custom gilt-wood frames made for them — although the elaborate frames on these examples are actually later in date. They would have been reserved for special places in the home, and probably surrounded by other export objects such as blue-and-white porcelain from the Jingdezhen kilns, perhaps in a drawing room or a dressing room.
The Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove 竹林七贤
Clay | Southern Dynasties (420-589) | Excavated from Tomb of the Southern Dynasties in Gongshan, Xishanqiao, Nanjing (1960) | Nanjing Museum collection. 粘土砖｜南朝（公元420-589年）1｜一组高78厘米，长242.5厘米，二组高78厘米，长241.5厘米｜1960年南京西善桥宫山南朝墓出土｜南京博物院藏
A certain group of seven scholar/musician/poets wishing to escape the intrigues, corruption and stifling atmosphere of court life during the politically fraught Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history habitually gathered in the obscurity of a bamboo grove near the house of Xi Kang (aka Ji Kang) in Shanyang (now in Henan province). Here they enjoyed practicing their works, and enjoying the simple, rustic life, always with much alcohol .
This version is not as idealistic as the Southern Dynasties version. The seven sages were updated to Ming style dressing. They are depicted as rich, scholarly figures, very much like the Yuanwai 员外 that these paintings are targeted.
Floating Wine Cups 曲水流觞
A winding stream party is an old Chinese custom in which the participants wait by a winding stream and compose poems before their cups full of rice wine float down to reach them. This drinking game heralded from an old Zhou rite. The most famous historical event associated with this custom was the “Orchid Pavilion Gathering” held by Wang Xizhi during the Jin Dynasty, which gave birth to the calligraphy masterpiece, “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering.”
The painting was an unknown artist’s interpretation of the literati gathering at Orchid Pavilion.
Canton Glass Painting
Canton glass painting, also known as Chinese export reverse painting on glass, is a highly skilled art form that flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries during the Canton Trade. Brought to China by Jesuit missionaries, the technique involves artists painting mirror-image details in reverse onto the back of a glass sheet, creating a glossy, vivid image when viewed from the front.
Because of the reverse order of the application of pigment, starting a painting on the back side of the glass can be complicated. At the same time, its crystal-clear structure makes it possible to copy an image or idea from a paper template. Hence it was a popular medium for Western clientele to request the Cantonese artists to create glass painting replicas of their oil portraits or photographs.
The reverse mirror paintings were made almost entirely for export, and the works reflect the impact that China had on the imagination of the West.
All photos taken by author at Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum Mar 2024, unless otherwise noted.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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