▁court ▁painting ▁by ▁Gu . ▁ ▁The ▁full ▁title ▁of ▁the ▁painting ▁is ▁Ad mon itions ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁Inst ruct ress ▁( ). ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁painted ▁to ▁illustrate ▁a ▁po etic ▁text ▁written ▁in ▁ 2 9 2 ▁by ▁the ▁poet - o fficial ▁Z hang ▁H ua ▁( 2 3 2 – 3 0 0 ). ▁ ▁The ▁text ▁itself ▁was ▁composed ▁to ▁repr im and ▁Em press ▁J ia ▁( 2 5 7 – 3 0 0 ) ▁and ▁to ▁provide ▁advice ▁to ▁the ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁imperial ▁court . ▁ ▁The ▁painting ▁illustr ates ▁this ▁text ▁with ▁scenes ▁dep ict ing ▁an ec d otes ▁about ▁exempl ary ▁behaviour ▁of ▁historical ▁palace ▁ladies , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁with ▁more ▁general ▁scenes ▁showing ▁aspects ▁of ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁palace ▁lady . ▁ ▁The ▁painting , ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁in ▁London , ▁England , ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁ext ant ▁examples ▁of ▁a ▁Chinese ▁hand scroll ▁painting , ▁and ▁is ▁ren owned ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁Chinese ▁paint ings ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁painting ▁is ▁first ▁recorded ▁during ▁the ▁latter ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Song ▁( 9 6 0 – 1 1 2 7 ), ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Hu iz ong ▁of ▁Song ▁( r . ▁ 1 1 0 0 – 1 1 2 6 ). ▁ ▁It ▁passed ▁through ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁many ▁collect ors ▁over ▁the ▁centuries , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁left