Page 112 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS
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were produced and commissioned under the imperial direction of Guo Baochang 郭葆昌
(1879–1942), whom Yuan named the appointed official of Jiangxi Province, the location
of the Jingdezhen kiln site. 130 Originally, Guo was told to create porcelain known as ru
wares. 131 The ru style dates back to the Song dynasty (960–1279) and exhibits a distinct
light blue to celadon porcelain. The vessels were originally commissioned by Emperor
Huizong 宋徽宗 (r.1101-1125) during the Northern Song exclusively for use within the
imperial court. The ru ware was widely admired and collected within China; however, it
was difficult to produce. Along with the challenge of creating ru ware, the style itself
was considered inauspicious. 132 Since ru ware was produced around the time of the fall
of the Northern Song dynasty, it created a direct connection to an unsuccessful reign.
The connotation meant the ru ware was found to be inappropriate for commemorating a
new dynasty.
Instead, Hongxian porcelain looked toward the achievements of enameled wares
th
of the 18 century, particularly the style of wares produced under Yongzheng and
Qianlong. By selecting this era, the Hongxian porcelain industry utilized the “peak”
period of Chinese porcelain as inspiration for the wares it produced. Viewing rulers like
Qianlong as a source of inspiration for the aesthetics, styles, and imagery created a
striking similarity to the mindset exhibited by the empress dowager. Cixi connected her
porcelain patronage to the patronage exhibited by Qianlong, cultivating a connection
between her reign and Qianlong’s successful rule. By producing porcelain that emulated
130 Alfreda Murck, “Décor on Republican Era Teawares,” in The Scholar’s Mind: Essays in
Honor of Frederick W. Mote (Chinese University Press, 2009), 240.
131 Kerr, Chinese Ceramics Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, 129.
132 Simon Kwan, “Hongxian Porcelain and the Role of Wang Xiaotang,” Orientations 22, no. 10
(1991): 65.
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