Album leaf, ink and color on silk; [accompanying poem] ink on paper
Agriculture and Sericulture is a set of agricultural illustrations that depict the processes of farming and silk weaving, serving as a vital visual historical resource for studying ancient agricultural and textile techniques. Several versions of Agriculture and Sericulture produced by the Qing court have been preserved, with this particular album dating back to the Qianlong reign (1736–1795). According to the prefatory text written by Emperor Qianlong in 1739, the album was created to commemorate the virtues of Emperor Kangxi (1654–1722), who prioritized agriculture and sericulture while showing diligence and love for his people. Using Ploughing (1696) from the Kangxi era as its basis, this album was redrawn by court painter Chen Mei (c. 1694–1745) under imperial commission. The complete set consists of 46 illustrations, equally divided between tilling and weaving, with each accompanied by a poem composed by Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) in response to the original rhymes of Emperor Kangxi. The illustrations are similar in content to the Kangxi version of Agriculture and Sericulture but omit the tilling and weaving poems written by Southern Song poet Lou Shu (c. 1090–1162).