Page 173 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

emperor, Puyi, was allowed to remain in the palace in accordance with the “Favorable

Treatment of the Qing Imperial Household.” He remained in the palace from 1911 until

1924 with complete access to the imperial collection of porcelain. 218 Puyi ordered an

inventory of the imperial collection by 1923. As the inventory began it became clear that

numerous objects were missing. Court eunuchs were thought to be behind the thefts,

utilizing the objects to earn large monetary sums. As pressure mounted, some of the halls

housing the imperial collection mysterious caught fire and burned down destroying parts

of the collection. 219 The physical loss of imperial collection pieces due to theft and fire

was not the only detrimental occurrence during the lifetime of Puyi. The former emperor

utilized the imperial collection porcelain wares as gifts for friends and family. Some of

these gifts were documented, while many remain unknown. 220 In 1924, Puyi was forced

out of the imperial palace and the newly established Nationalist government took

possession of the imperial collection. They inventoried the collection, marking the first

attempt to analyze the existing imperial collection after the fall of dynastic China. The

Committee for the Disposition of the Qing Imperial Possessions (清室善後委員會,

Qingshi shanhou weiyuanhui) cataloged the entire collection, filling a total of 28 volumes

in 1925. 221 These volumes reference bronzes, jades, paintings, calligraphy, enamel,

lacquer, and porcelain along with other miscellaneous objects comprising the imperial

collection.

218 Scott, “The Chinese Imperial Collections,” 26.
219 Jeannette Shambaugh Elliot and David Shambaugh, The Odyssey of China’s Imperial Art
Treasures (University of Washington Press, 2015), 55.
220 Scott, 26. One known gift was presented to the Emperor’s brother, Pujie. While a list
survives, limited detail is provided making it difficult for scholars to identify each object with
complete accuracy.
221 Chiang, “Redefining an Imperial Collection: Problems of Modern Impositions and
Interpretations,” 1.
134