Hand Colored Engraving by T. Allom: Hall of Audience At Palace in Peking

Surely a red-roofed hall with lacy openwork eaves sits behind a grand weeping tree

This hand colored engraving is from London, England, United Kingdom, and is dated 1843. It is ink on paper. Thomas Allom, an architect and founding member of what became the Royal Institute of British Architects, illustrated books on China in the 1840s without ever making the trip there himself. A glimpse of another roof shows at left. Captions run below. It is 10.5 inches wide and 7.75 high.

The tree is dressed for the occasion, and so is everyone else.