Ximen Foolishly Presents His New Wife, Mistress Ping, to His Worthless and Bibulous Guests

This album leaf illustrates one episode from an erotic yet satirical novel. The protagonist, Master Ximen, hires four female musicians to escort his sixth wife, Ping, to a party. Ximen’s friends flock to see his new wife, while his other concubines watch with jealousy from behind a doorway.

The glittering blue and green landscape painting on the wall, along with the books depicted in the room, accentuate Ximen’s gaudy taste and his intention to elevate his status. The extensive use of gold in this scene overpowers the quiet, idyllic landscape painting on the wall, a comment on the owner’s increasingly extravagant lifestyle.