Hand Colored Engraving by T. Allom: The Polo Temple At Tai Hou

Oddly, a little shrine squats on a rounded rock at the water's edge

This hand colored engraving is from London, England, United Kingdom, and is dated 1843. It is ink on paper. Printmaking carried enthusiasm for the Orient beyond a small circle of patrons, because publishers and artists produced illustrated books on travel and religion that could be distributed affordably to all classes. Tinted by hand, a coastal scene of a mound topped with a red-roofed building, crowded with figures and small boats at its base. Craggy hills and a lighthouse-like point rise in the haze beyond. Captions print below. It is 10.5 inches wide and 7.7 high.

Small shrine, big rock, and plenty of traffic around it.