Page 121 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

establish that the kilns were operating at the imperial level established during the earlier

Qing dynasty.

Having evaluated the caliber of the actual porcelain itself, it was critical to

investigate the artistry depicted on the vessels of the era. The first example worth noting

depicts a bird-and-flower design dated with a Jurentang mark. The pattern is contained

on a thinly potted, Long-necked vase with a vivid yellow ground (Figure 32). 147 The

birds and flowers create a strong diagonal pattern over the body of the vase and interact

with a great deal of empty space. The flowers depicted are plum blossoms

(mei hua 梅花), a symbol of beauty. The birds flying among the flowers are magpies.

The magpie was considered the messenger of happiness and had a strong connection to

the myth surrounding the Manchu origins. While the bird-and-flower design is much

more traditional than the designs found on Cixi’s porcelain, the connection to vibrant

colors and the symbolic motif remain closely affiliated. The design on the Jurentang vase

closely resembles a pattern utilized by Cixi in her commission of the Tongzhi wedding

porcelain (Figure 33). 148 The plum blossom and magpie design on a yellow ground

clearly form the original inspiration behind the Hongxian vase motif, offering a distinct

connection between the porcelain imagery of the empress dowager and Hongxian-era

wares.

Another Pair of long-necked vases from the collection continues with the bird-

and-flower theme (Figure 34). 149 This example may date slightly later, having a

147 Avitabile, From the Dragon’s Treasure: Chinese Porcelain from the Nineteenth and Twentieth
Centuries in the Weishaupt Collection, 124.
148 Simon Kwan, Imperial Porcelain of the Late Qing (Hong Kong: The Chinese University of
Hong Kong, 1983), 105.
149 Avitabile, 128.

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