Ming Dynasty artist's painting depicts celebration of Qixi Festival

On the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar, let's celebrate Qixi Festival with a long masterpiece from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) painter Qiu Ying (1505-52) — The Praying for Skills.

Drawn in fine line, the painting captures palace ladies and maids on Qixi night. Stars glitter overhead. Women gather in the courtyard, offering prayers to heaven. Some thread needles beneath the starlight, hoping to gain dexterity like the weaving goddess Zhinü.

The hand scroll portrays 77 women, echoing the "double seven" of the festival, and all female, true to Qixi's nickname as the "Daughters' Festival". Currently, this work is housed in the Palace Museum in Taipei.