Man Making Incense Sticks
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Man Making Incense Sticks is a 1790 paint by Puqua, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A man sits at a low table, rolling sticks of incense between his palms. Sunlight slants through a window, lighting the long bamboo skewers and the fine white powder on his hands. The incense sticks stand in a small clay pot beside him. This scene comes from a set of 100 paintings showing everyday trades in Canton, made for curious Europeans. Puqua shows the quiet focus of the worker’s hands and the simple tools he uses. If you like this slice of daily life, check out Puqua.
A rectangular watercolor painting depicts a man seated at the end of a long brown board, shaping incense sticks, with piles of finished sticks visible on two tables in the background. Part of a set of 100 images illustrating trades and occupations in Canton (Guangzhou), it was created for European audiences seeking information about China. Acquired in 1898 from Parsons & Sons, the work is now held in a collection.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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