Page 105 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

imperial motif. The blue underglaze flowers form a border along the exterior below a

double band detail. Each flower is rather angular and does not demonstrate any of the

soft, graceful touches associated with Cixi’s floral dayazhai wares. This vessel also has a

mark on the base that dates to Xuantong, specifically the year 1910. Along with this

information, the mark also reads Yichun tang zhi 宜春堂製 (Made for the hall of

appropriate spring). This information references the name of a specific studio belonging

to Liu Shiheng 刘世珩 (1875–1937). 113 While this mark indicates that Liu Shiheng

rather than Xuantong himself commissioned the dish, this study notes stylistic elements

that had declined by analyzing this dish. The dish itself is thickly potted, lacking the

refinement found in earlier pieces patronized by Cixi. Along with this factor, the

underglaze is not applied in a painterly manner, resulting in areas becoming blurred

during the firing process. Overall, the dish emphasizes the general decline that most

scholars note during the late Qing reign.

Academic categorizations of the reign of Xuantong being a point of porcelain

decline are corroborated by this study. It is clear from these pieces of porcelain that

officials of this reign spent very little time producing vessels, resulting in a very small

grouping of known objects. Along with the limited quantity, the known porcelain

displays a lack of the artistry, skilled potting, and refinement associated with imperial

porcelain. However, scholars have not considered alternative patrons of the arts that

existed contemporaneously with Puyi. This study proposes that imperial-caliber

113 Ming Wilson, Rare Marks on Chinese Ceramics (London: Percival David Foundation, 1998),
150. Liu Shiheng, also known as Juqing, was from Anhui. Records indicate he widely collected
antiques. He placed two orders for porcelain during the late Qing, one in 1909 and the other in
1910. These orders indicate that although the imperial Qing was falling, Liu was not
experiencing severe financial ramifications as a result of the political upheaval.

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