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Cui Hu Stealing the Slipper

ca. 1644–1753

Not on view

In the early Qing dynasty a strong interest in novels and drama, especially among the urban population, spurred the production of multicolored woodblock-printed illustrations to the texts of popular literature.

This illustration from the Romance of the Peach Blossoms, which was developed from a poem by the scholar Cui Hu (active first half of the 9th century), shows a lady hiding her lover behind her back, while a maid enters her boudoir with a candle.

Cui Hu Stealing the Slipper, Woodblock print; color on paper, China — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Cui Hu touxie

Title: Cui Hu Stealing the Slipper

Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Date: ca. 1644–1753

Culture: China

Medium: Woodblock print; color on paper

Dimensions: Image: 11 5/16 x 11 5/16 in. (28.7 x 28.7 cm)
Overall: 22 x 16 1/16 in. (55.9 x 40.8 cm)

Classification: Prints

Credit Line: On loan from the British Museum-Bequeathed by Sir Hans Sloane

Accession Number: PI.043

The Met

Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.