The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 7, 2026

A vertical woodblock print depicts a woman with light skin tone seated on a wooden table, turned toward our right. Dressed in a light-blue robe with black borders and red sleeve linings, her eyes are directed downward. Her hands hold a matching cloth over a shallow basin on the table to our left, and a red tassel hangs from her waist. Creases and discoloration mark the aged paper background.

Lady with water basin

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95)
Hanging scroll; multicolor woodblock print on paper
Print only: 68.5 x 45.7 cm (26 15/16 x 18 in.); Mounted: 219 x 64 cm (86 1/4 x 25 3/16 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.43
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Woodblock printing in color reached a height in China in the 1600s to 1700s. The prints were executed by means of sets of separate blocks, each carved to print a different color.

Description

In the 1600s, printing flourished in such Jiangnan cities as Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Huizhou, evolving from privately enjoyed illustrated books printed in color to more commercialized single-sheet color prints that were hung on walls and became part of the rich urban visual culture.
  • ?–2025
    (Christer von der Burg, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2025–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Lady with water basin|url=false|author=|year=1736–95|access-date=07 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.43