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Description
18th century Watercolor on paper of a stylish Regency period portrait of a fashionable uptown lady wearing an Asian conical hat with a laced ruff collar. I would speculate this woman traveled to Orient or had a husband involved in The Old China Trade which would refer to the early commerce between the Qing Empire and the United States under the Canton System, spanning from shortly after the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 to the Treaty of Wanghsia in 1844.
The conical hat she is proudly sporting is in reality a starch contradiction to her attire and social standing. This type of conical hat was worn by the common farm rice pickers throughout China. I doubt she knew herself knew the absurdity of the combination. Or maybe she did and could care less of the fashion mishap. A comparison for today would be a lady wearing a ballroom gown while sporting a coal miner’s helmet.
That being said it is her whimsical ignorance to the above is what makes her so charming and likable.
Frame: 7’ ½ x 8 ½ inches
Portrait: 3’ x 4 inches.
Note: Not removed from frame for inspection.
