Page 103 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

quarters of the Forbidden City. He was also permitted to retain the title “Emperor of the

Great Qing.” 109

While Puyi attempted to reestablish himself outside of the role of emperor, a new

republican regime arose and took control of China. Under the new republic, Yuan Shikai

was made president on March 12, 1912. Yuan was a former official and military leader.

His involvement with the former Qing government made him an excellent candidate to

assume the political responsibilities of the new republic. While Yuan and the republic

assumed power, Puyi attempted to regain his control of China. Numerous attempts were

made on behalf of the former emperor, with the first occurring on July 1, 1917, led by

Zhang Xun 張勛. Leading troops from the north, Zhang Xun tried to reinstate Puyi;

however, the attack lasted only 12 days and resulted in defeat. 110 By 1924, Puyi was

removed from the Forbidden City and his remaining title was officially removed. With

the final remnants of his title stripped, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty lost the little

control he had maintained following his abdication. 111 While Puyi strove to regain power

within China, he did not attempt to demonstrate power by taking control of the arts.

During the course of the present research, the only porcelain examples dating to

the brief reign of Xuantong that were examined were part of the Victoria and Albert

109 Pu Yi and Jenner, From Emperor to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, 37.
110 Yang Xin and Zhu Chengru, Secret World of the Forbidden City: Splendors from China’s
Imperial Palace (Beijing: The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art and The Palace Museum, 1999),
100.
111 Puyi attempted to regain power throughout his life; however, these attempts were all
unsuccessful. In 1925, he aligned himself with the Japanese remaining under their protection for
the next seven years. When Japan established a puppet government in Manchuria, Puyi, became
emperor of the region. By 1945, Japan had surrendered to China which resulted in Puyi being
arrested by the Soviet Red Army for nearly five years. Puyi would eventually be given amnesty.
Puyi lived the remainder of his life in relative obscurity, finally dying in Beijing on October 17,
1967. For more on Puyi see Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi and William John Francis Jenner, From Emperor
to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1989).

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