Page 183 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

are traditional and static, they incorporate innovative brushwork and colors that convey

an opulent aesthetic that is distinctive to her porcelain.

A survey of British collections also identified several vessels that the empress

dowager commissioned but in styles that appear different from the dayazhai wares. A set

of jardinières at the Ashmolean exhibit a similar pattern to the aforementioned yellow

dayazhai bowl, yet it does not bear the seals and reign marks associated with known

dayazhai wares. The jardinières display the same canary yellow glaze as the bowl, along

with the distinct grisaille floral decorations (Figure 69). Examination of the floral design

again revealed reliance on the peony flower, strongly connecting the imagery to Cixi’s

styles. Along with these visual clues, the jardinières themselves have a strong

provenance going back to the empress dowager. The vessels were said to have been kept

in Cixi’s private apartments, creating a strong connection between the vessels and the

empress dowager. In this regard, the jardinières serve as an indicator of Cixi’s personal

taste, since they were her personal belongings. The parallel between the designs of the

dayazhai wares and these jardinières establishes that Cixi did have a distinct aesthetic

that she desired and ultimately was able to create through her avid patronage during the

late Qing era.

One of the main reasons that British collections include various examples of late

Qing porcelain is historic events and the interaction between China and Britain during

these occurrences. Many examples of imperial porcelain leaving China and entering

Europe during this era were a direct result of military looting. The best-documented

event of looting occurred as a direct result of destroying the Summer Palace

(Yuanmingyuan) along with the general events associated with the Boxer Rebellion. In

144