Drawing by william alexander, draughtsman of the macartney embassy to china in 1793. A sketch of a chinese comedian who portrayed an enraged military officer; it was sketched from an actor performing his part before the the british ambassador and his staff on december 19, 1793, at canton, where theatrical plays were regularly staged at dinner time for their entertainment. Alexander noted that theatrical exhibitions were one of the main amusements of the chinese; there were no public theaters, instead every ranking mandarin had a stage constructed in his house, and hired actors for performances. On the commencement of a new year and memorable occasions, plays were performed on streets. The plays were accompanied by music produced from wind instruments, and accompanied by the gong. Females were not allowed to perform; the plots and subjects were drawn from thousands of years of continuous chinese history. Image taken from the costume of china, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings, published in london in 1805. Date: circa 1800.
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