Page 217 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

dowager. Along with this connection, the plates use the famille rose color palette, tying

these wares directly to the influence of Western styles. While this style has a long history

within the Qing dynasty, it is Cixi who can be credited with maintaining the popularity of

Western enamels during the late Qing period. Additionally, the enamel itself was been

applied with a light, painterly brushstroke, evoking what painters would refer to as mogu

沒骨, meaning a boneless technique. This style does not rely on a heavy, dark outline to

contain areas of color, instead, the color is applied independently, building washes of

pigment. The sole reliance color emphasizes the spontaneity of the brush rather than the

structure created by bold lines. This style is one that the empress dowager was known to

use in her commissioned paintings and porcelain. The recurrence of this boneless

technique is especially visible in Cixi’s floral motifs examined in this study, which rely

heavily on petals created with washes of color rather than outlines.

The lingering influence of Cixi is apparent in the porcelain patronized by Yuan

Shikai as well as the wares created during the early republic period. A pair of large vases

from the Ashmolean collection at Oxford forms the best visual evidence of the

appropriation of Cixi’s style during the brief Hongxian era (Figure 85). The Pair of vases

is formed using semi-eggshell porcelain, making them extremely thin, delicate, and

nearly translucent in appearance. The vessels both have enamel applied in fencai,

meaning powder colors. This application denotes the application of famille rose colors

on a white ground. The pair has the reign marks Jurentang, associating the vases with

the short rule of Yuan Shikai. Visually, the vessels are ornately detailed with a floral

design across the entire body. As with the dayazhai wares, these vases are densely

painted with very limited blank space. The intricate and crowded motif creates a direct

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