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China through the lens of John Thomson 1868 - 1872
China through the lens of John Thomson 1868 - 1872. An exhibition at Merseyside Maritime Museum, 5 February to 6 June 2010.
Beijing 1871 - 1872
© The Wellcome Library, London
After the hair had been dressed, the face was painted. In Qing China, Manchu and Chinese women, in particular those from 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. Afterwards a blush of rose powder was applied to the cheeks and eyelids. The surplus rouge was left on the lady's palms, as rose-pink on the hand was greatly esteemed.
A pdf of the information about this image in Chinese is also available to download:
