Description:
These pith paintings were part of the sewing table contents owned by Eliza Clarkson of Gloucester, MA. She accompanied her husband James Clarkson on 1849 voyage of the ship "Marathon," which included visits to Java and Manilla. Images painted on pith paper produced small, bright pictures with the glowing qualities of enamel or embroidery, and a surface that reflected light more like a mosaic than the smooth flatness of a sized, manufactured paper. Many sets of images were brought back to America by seamen, merchants, and travelers. Partial drawing of a shallow draft Chinese sampan, a man in the front of the boat is rowing, there are goods piled into the boat, the boat is very colorfully painted in green, red, brown, and blue. Conserved at WAAC, partially reconstructed, large losses.

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2005.9.18

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