Chinese general and attendant, c. 1810 1810 1 gouache; 33.4 x 46.5 cm. 1st in pair of original unsigned gouache drawings; general holding spear seated outside tent with shield and standard-banner on tent pole, standard-bearer standing at left with command-flag. [See also: Chinese general's wife and attendant, c. 1810.] From the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, China traded major luxury commodities, including tea, porcelain, and silk, to European and American merchants. Unexpectedly, such transactions also gave rise to an ancillary market for export paintings. A successful community of painters emerged to meet foreign demand, embedded in the space of trade, where transnational and transcultural exchanges proliferated. In particular, artists’ studios thrived in Canton, primarily located in Old and New (after 1822) China Street in the neighborhood of the foreign factories. In anticipation of the wide reception of their works, export painters provided insights into Chinese traditions, fashion, customs, and daily life. Though originally sold as single folios, as with this pair, travelers often bound their paintings in albums either in China or, more often, back home. Many instances feature coordinated pairs of character studies, usually an official or high-ranking officer with their spouse, whose status was discernible by their dress, badges, and banners. Upright folio; narrow margins. London, H.D. Lyon, 1961. Title supplied by cataloger China. Lu jun Uniforms China. Lu jun Flags Shields China Generals in art Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection 13 http://dl.lib.brown.edu/askb ChO1810f-1 1153958205343306 gouaches (paintings) still image No Copyright - United States Collection is open for research.