Page 193 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

decline, the imperial collection of art became a source of monetary support for the Qing

th
imperial family. By the turn of the 20 century, the imperial collection became a solution

to the financial tensions plaguing the imperial family. 244 While it is evident that many

objects held within the imperial collection were sold at varying points in late dynastic

China, not many of these instances were well documented. 245 One of the first accounts of

porcelain leaving the imperial collection occurred during the late reign of the empress

dowager. Following the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, Cixi fled the Forbidden City and

required funds to support herself. Cixi offered parts of the imperial collection to the Salt

Industry Yuin Yeh Bank as part of the collateral necessary to gain financial assistance

during this exchange. 246 The last Qing ruler, Puyi, followed this choice when he

approached the same bank, along with several others, to obtain a large loan required to

ease the financial pressures of attempting to regain political power. 247 When rulers

utilized their imperial collections to reestablish themselves, it once again emphasized the

importance of ceramics within the imperial realm. These wares were not only seen as

fine art, given as diplomatic gifts, and viewed as the results of acts of patronage, but they

were also ultimately a personalized bankroll for each ruler. Porcelain was not only used

as a means to establish imperial power, but ultimately as a means to keep it. This

244 Chiang, “Redefining an Imperial Collection: Problems of Modern Impositions and
Interpretations,” 17.
245 This was not a recent development, historically, records dating to the reign of Chongzhen
(1628-1644) indicated sales of the imperial collection to provide financing. Similar to the
monetary needs of Cixi, Chongzhen required the funds to enhance military defense against the
Manchus. Rather than sell porcelain, Chongzhen sold and melted down numerous bronze vessels
from the imperial collection.
246 Stacey Pierson, Collectors, Collections and Museums: The Field of Chinese Ceramics in
Britain, 1560-1960 (New York: Peter Lang, 2007), 133.
247 Chiang, “Redefining an Imperial Collection: Problems of Modern Impositions and
Interpretations,” 17.

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