Page 181 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

Displays of dayazhai vessels at the British Museum provide a direct correlation to

the styles exhibited on both porcelain and paintings Cixi commissioned. Few pieces in

the dayazhai pattern have been published and researched, making the collection at the

British Museum especially valuable. Directly designed by the empress dowager, the five

dayazhai wares serve as a critical representation of the style Cixi formed and promoted,

which was explored extensively in a previous chapter. The British Museum houses two

white plates of this style. The white plates are decorated with famille enamel, with each

depicting lush leaves and a blooming lotus flower. There is also a heron in the painted

scene, which is a direct reference to the summer pattern (Figure 66). The lotus can be

viewed as a Buddhist symbol, while the lotus and the heron both represent long life.

Another plate in the collection depicts the iconic winter dayazhai pattern. This motif is

comprised of a strong opaque purple ground. The vibrant ground forms a striking

contrast to an intricate design of purple, pink, and yellow poppies and peach blossoms

(taohua 桃花). These flowers bloom near the Lunar New Year, connecting them to the

winter months. Along with the array of flowers is a small magpie placed within the scene

(Figure 67). The magpie is a popular motif during the Qing era, especially within

painting. It holds a strong mythological meaning for the imperial family, who thought a

magpie saved the family’s founder. 232

Finally, a bowl with a yellow ground detailed with peonies, wisteria, insects, and

birds in a grisaille enamel completes the display of Cixi’s dayazhai wares (Figure 68).

This specific vessel holds the closest connection to the painted imagery of the Cixi

232 Ronald W. Longsdorf, “Dayazhai Ware: Porcelains of the Empress Dowager,” Orientations
23, no. 3 (1992): 47.

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