Hello Richard,

Thank you for choosing Mearto with your online appraisal.

Based on the images, this item is:

A remarkable Chinese watercolor on paper (probably mulberry or pith paper) painting entitled "Concubine of Tang Dynasty" depicting, most likely based on the symbology, Shangguan Wan’er (AD 664-710), often known as the “female prime minister and concubine” to Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in the Chinese history, influenced both the political and the literary world in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-908), which is a rare case in Chinese history.

Prostitutes in the ancient Chinese society had a very interesting role in comparison to those understood as "good women". Where “good” women were expected to be chaste, whores were promiscuous; where “good” women were expected to be meek, whores were bold; where “good” women were expected to be ignorant, whores were well-educated; where “good” women were supposed to be submissive, whores accepted or rejected clients as we pleased; and where “good” women were prisoners of convention, whores flouted it. Prostitution in China dates back as early as 771 BC, consisting mostly of slave consorts or captured wives and daughters of enemies. It was during the Tang Dynasty where courtesans became an integral part of society.

This print has a poem related to the Concubine. The reason lies when girls who had either lost their family to war or been orphaned at an young age were sent to music and dance schools run by the government known as jiaofang (教坊). They would be taught music, dancing, and literature for future employment as entertainers / concubines. This poem is an excerpt of the long poem “Pipa xing” (琵琶行) by Bai Juyi (白居易) a renowned poet and government official of that time speaking about music and concubines.

The artist of this painting is most likely Tang Yin (唐寅,1470–1524), better known by his courtesy name Tang Bohu (唐伯虎), was a Chinese scholar, painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming Dynasty whose life story has become a part of popular lore. Tang Yin is one of the most famous painters in the history of Chinese art that focused his painting on women, concubines, etc. Without any additional document this is unclear. If e compare this painting to other similar ones, this painting was perhaps painted during early 16th century. It does not belong to any known series.

Good condition, unframed. Porcelain scrolls.

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