Albumen carte-de-visite by Kung Tai, Shanghai, showing a young woman posed with a circular fan and standing beside a table holding an opium pipe and accessories. Her robe and ornaments are detailed with early hand-applied pigments in violet, blue, yellow, and green, typical of Chinese studio coloring in the 1860s–80s.

Kung Tai was one of Shanghai’s prominent foreign-facing studios, producing portraits for both local clientele and Western travelers during the treaty-port era. Images that explicitly depict opium-related objects are noticeably less common, reflecting both the controlled nature of opium use and the selective presentation of Chinese subjects for export.

CDV mount with Kung Tai’s printed imprint on verso. Light surface wear, scattered marks, and toning consistent with age.