[China] Group of people in landscape including children and domestic animals

China, ca. 1880. Large reverse painting on glass (85 x 54 cm) . Contemp. Chinese wooden frame (91.7 x 60.7 cm).

Scene showing contemp. figures playing with animal-shaped toys (dog, deer, hog and falcon) each carrying a red ribbon and light. Executed in bright and vivid colours, characteristic of late Qing-dynasty examples. Decorative work, well-preserved considering the fragility of the glass surface. A Chinese reverse painting on glass. This method has a long history in China. Due to its fragility, few examples have survived until this day. It likely depicts a ceremony, as the children's toys each carry a red ribbon and light. The toys are all animals (dog, deer, hog and falcon).