This album is a figure painting, the Chinese picture made to be unrolled or unpinned a section at a time rather than seen all at once. the Ming painter’s hand that made it assumed a viewer in motion.
A handscroll rewards the journey; The figures subject is the excuse. What the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE) painter sold was a way of looking, disciplined and unhurried.
The Ming court ran its porcelain and enamel workshops as instruments of state, and the reign mark on a piece named the emperor as much as the object.
A album like this was made to be handed on, not framed forever. The figure painting still asks you to slow down, which is the whole point.
Object details
| Name | List of Ming Dynasty figures (明人人物册) |
|---|---|
| Artefact no. | 新00103945 |
| Technique | Figure painting (人物) |
| Period | Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE) |
| Collection | The Palace Museum, Beijing |
| Source | Palace Museum Digital Collection (数字文物库) |
Image © The Palace Museum. View the original in the Palace Museum Digital Collection.