Playing a Board Game in a Garden

Under a Chinese parasol tree, two ladies play the Chinese board game weiqi, a popular pursuit among the educated elite. The game helped train one’s logical and cognitive abilities. In keeping with the literati painting tradition, the artist sets the scene in a courtyard outside a study to emphasize leisure and cultivation. The circular entrance to the study was known as a “moon gate.” A small painted item such as this fan is an example of an informal gift that might be presented to or exchanged among members of educated circles.