Gathering ‘Lusang’ Mulberry Leaves
1880
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1880
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Gathering ‘Lusang’ Mulberry Leaves is a 1880 paint by Jun Wu, a Chinese Orthodox School work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A group of workers picks leaves from a tall mulberry tree in a narrow lane. The light falls just right on their hands and the bright green leaves. You can almost hear the quiet rustle of fabric from their clothing. This came from an album about silk making. The tree’s leaves feed silkworms, so every leaf matters. Want to dig deeper? Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Rectangular in format with cool hues, the painting depicts figures collecting leaves from low shrubs and placing them into wicker baskets. It is bordered by a blue ribbon and is one of sixteen works illustrating stages in silk production. The album was purchased from Carl Langweil and accessioned in 1901. The 'lusang' mulberry leaves gathered here feed silkworms in districts where silk is produced year-round.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jun Wu’s paintings show women tending silkworms and preparing silk in the late 1800s.
See the richer artist page
