Page 170 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

antiquity), Fangong zhangse 燔功彰色 (Skilled firing, conspicuous quality), Taoci puce

陶瓷譜冊 (Ceramic catalog), and Yanzhi liuguang 埏埴流光 (Long-lived clay radiates

light). The catalogs provide visual images offering evidence for the styles being

collected by Qianlong, along with recorded details for each object. While these surviving

records document aspects of Qianlong’s collecting, relatively few sources detail the

specific ways in which the ruler actively participated in shaping his collection. Qianlong

studied extensively and was a gifted painter and calligrapher himself. His works were

even included within the imperial collection. Qianlong included his own calligraphic

inscriptions on paintings and porcelain within the imperial collection documenting his

opinion. These inscriptions Qianlong applied provide evidence of what specific pieces

the emperor was drawn to, highlighting his keen collecting vision. Qianlong’s

inscriptions imply his approval, indicating that he held these works in particularly high

esteem. The emperor delegated the task of managing his collection to officials, with

records providing evidence of how the collection was to be handled. Notes written by

one of these officials, Shen Chu 沈初 (1729–1799), indicate that Qianlong required the

objects be grouped into first- and second-class objects. 214 The act of grouping based on

the assessment of each object’s perceived value indicates a clear act of connoisseurship

within the imperial collection.

It seems that within this collection, objects that did not meet the desired standard

were frequently utilized as gifts or, in some instances, sold to cover imperial household

expenses. 215 This trend had been established with documentation traced to Tang Ying

214 Nicole T. C. Chiang, “Redefining an Imperial Collection: Problems of Modern Impositions
and Interpretations,” Journal of Art Historiography, no. 10 (2014): 1–22.
215 Chiang, 15.
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