China: a Manchu lady having her face painted, Beijing. Photograph by John Thomson, 1869.

Several women. The setting is the same as Thomson's negative number 701 and 708

After the hair had been dressed, the face was painted. In Qing China, Manchu and Chinese women, in particular those in wealthy families, tended to cover both their face and neck with a thick white paste. When the paste was dry, it was smoothed and polished once. Afterwards a blush of rose-powder was applied to the cheeks and eyelids, with the surplus rouge left on the lady's palms, as rose-pink on the hand was greatly esteemed

1869

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion

Manchu ladies Bears Thomson's negative number: "709"

John Thomson, Illustrations of China and its people, London, 1873-4, vol IV, pl. XIII, No. 34, "Manchu ladies"

China through the lens of John Thomson, 1868-1872, Beijing: Beijing World Art Museum, 2009, p. 43 (reproduced)

This is one of a collection of original glass negatives made by John Thomson. The negatives, made between 1868 and 1872, were purchased from Thomson by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1921

Wellcome Collection 19668i