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Palace Ladies, Qiu Ying, 1644–1911
Qiu Ying, portraitQiu YingChinese, 1494–1552

Palace Ladies

1644–1911 · Painting

Can I see it?

Not on view at present

Where is “Palace Ladies” now? Collection: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked
In this state since
Source
The museum
On the mapMuseum page

About the painting

This handscroll illustrates the pursuits of court ladies in a palace precinct on a spring day. Women, young girls, and their maids amuse themselves by sitting on a swing, playing games, watering and admiring peonies, performing music together, playing the qin (zither), feeding a parrot on the balustrade and fish in the water, or catching butterflies. The life of elite women was mostly restricted to the so-called inner quarters, meaning the garden and inner courts of the house. This painting idealizes the world of young palace girls that in fact was often filled with boredom and waiting for a lover.

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Details

Accession number
1954.369

In the catalog

PaintingsInkChinese paintingChina, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Sources

More by Qiu Ying

All works
Beauty with Pine and Plum, Qiu Ying, 16th century

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