Artwork
元末明初 佚名 絹本設色 嬰戯圖 軸|Children playing in the palace garden
元末明初 佚名 絹本設色 嬰戯圖 軸|Children playing in the palace garden is an ink painting. It dates from 1385 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1987.150
- Credit line
- Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1987
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This subject matter aligns with depictions of courtly recreation in Chinese painting of the late Yuan period, emphasizing the innocence and diversions of youth.
The hanging scroll dated 1385, attributed to an anonymous painter, portrays children engaged in playful activities within a palace garden, as recorded in the work’s catalog entry. The scene includes figures playing with toys and games, set against a cultivated garden backdrop, reflecting contemporary genre scenes of leisure. This subject matter aligns with depictions of courtly recreation in Chinese painting of the late Yuan period, emphasizing the innocence and diversions of youth.
The composition’s focus on garden pastimes underscores a cultural interest in observing everyday childhood pursuits within elite spaces.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1385 by an anonymous artist, this work is a hanging scroll utilizing ink and mineral pigments applied to a silk support. The technique involves setting colors directly onto the woven fabric, a standard method for Chinese courtly genre scenes of the late Yuan to early Ming transition. While specific details regarding the current physical condition or microscopic handling of the brushwork are not provided in the available records, the formal classification identifies the piece as a genre scene.
Stylistically, the composition focuses on the depiction of children engaged in play within a garden setting, incorporating elements such as toys to illustrate the narrative. The use of silk as the primary ground influences the luminosity and texture of the applied colors, distinguishing it from paper-based contemporaries.
History & Provenance
The hanging scroll titled 元末明初 佚名 嬰戯圖 (Children playing in the palace garden) was painted in 1385 in China by an anonymous artist. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work depicts children at leisure in a garden setting. Its provenance is currently limited to its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.
No earlier ownership records are documented, and the work is attributed to an unnamed painter, consistent with anonymous court commissions.
The hanging scroll titled Children playing in the palace garden, attributed to an anonymous artist from the late Yuan to early Ming period, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, dated to 1385, is executed in ink and color on silk. While the provided sources confirm its current location at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its creation date, they do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for the piece.
Furthermore, the available documentation does not record any specific exhibition history for this artwork, leaving its display record unlisted in the current corpus.
Overview
This anonymous hanging scroll, titled Children Playing in the Palace Garden (嬰戯圖), dates from the Yuan to early Ming dynasty, spanning the late 13th to early 15th centuries. Executed with ink and color on silk, the painting captures a lively scene of children engaged in various recreational activities. It offers a visual record of daily life during this historical period, specifically focusing on the pastimes of young individuals within a refined garden setting.
Context
Created during a period of dynastic transition in China, this painting offers insight into the cultural milieu of the late Yuan and early Ming eras. Such depictions of children at play were popular, reflecting societal appreciation for childhood and domestic life. The artwork serves as a historical document, illustrating the types of games and toys prevalent among children in courtly or affluent settings of the time, thereby contributing to our understanding of daily customs.
Artist & collection
Illustrated Legends of the Tenchi-in (Tenchi-in engi)
Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden
Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden
Three scenes from festivals of the twelve months
Lady Xuanwen Giving Instruction on the Rites of Zhou
Court Ladies in the Imperial Palace
明 佚名 絹本設色 鳥販圖 軸|Bird peddler
Untitled
