Vintage Chinese Reverse Glass Painting of a Court Lady (Meiren) at Her Dressing Table (22" × 16")

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Description

This elegant mid-to-late 20th-century Chinese reverse glass painting (fanshe hua) depicts an idealized court lady (meiren) or imperial concubine engaged … Read more This elegant mid-to-late 20th-century Chinese reverse glass painting (fanshe hua) depicts an idealized court lady (meiren) or imperial concubine engaged in her morning beauty ritual. Measuring 22 inches in height by 16 inches in width, the composition captures a refined moment of contemplation as the lady sits at a dark lacquered dressing table. She wears a traditional navy blue silk robe adorned with delicate floral trim borders over a high-collared crimson undergarment. Her hair is styled in an elaborate, formal headdress (liangbatou) embellished with pale blue flowers, metallic hairpins, and cascading strands of pearls.
She delicately adjusts a strand of jewelry, her reflection intended for the heavy green jade or bronze table mirror propped on a folding stand before her. Her cosmetics station is appointed with a low-profile blue porcelain bowl and an ornate wooden storage chest incised with blooming peony motifs. The scene is framed by a rich architectural setting; behind the lady, a deep blue divider panel and a geometric lattice window screen with open gold-toned joinery look out onto a hazy, mist-shrouded mountain landscape.
• Technique: Painted completely in reverse sequence on the back of the glass sheet—applying fine facial lines and clothing patterns first, and broad background colors last—yielding a rich, high-gloss visual depth.
• Framing & Dimensions: Housed in its original, dark-stained hardwood frame with simple linear molding, measuring 22" H × 16" W.
• Hardware: Outfitted at the top with a traditional, decorative black brass ruyi cloud-shaped hanging bracket for immediate wall mounting.
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition with smooth pigment adhesion, bright coloration, and no signs of flaking, bubbling, or paint loss. See less