Two albums decorated with birds and figures, China, Canton, 19th century - The first illustrated with five paintings on pith paper depicting birds: birds of paradise, silver pheasants, mandarin ducks, terpsiphone paradisi and nightingales. Each painting surrounded by dark blue gauze. Polychrome silk cover with floral decoration. 33 x 23.5 cm; accidents. - The second contains twelve gouaches on pith paper depicting various scenes from the lives of mandarin families. Each painting is surrounded by light-blue gauze. Red silk cover. 33.5 x 23.5 cm; accidents. Falsely called rice paper, the support for these paintings, pith paper, comes from the central column of spongy cellular tissue from the stem of a small tree called Tetrapanax Papyrifera, native to southwest China.