Page 52 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

His patronage of jade, lacquer ware, textiles, cloisonné, and porcelain elevated these

media into highly admired goods.

The imperial kilns at Jingdezhen produced thousands of pieces of porcelain every

year for use within the imperial courts. Qianlong’s patronage meant that the potters and

painters who produced the porcelain catered to his imperial styles. Qianlong’s porcelain

tastes were quite extravagant, often relying on lush colors and impressive techniques to

cultivate highly artistic and ornate objects. An example of such an object resides in the

31
Palace Museum (Figure 1). The Lantern-shaped zun vase is finely potted and

exquisitely painted. The top and bottom are banded in a deep blue with gilded designs in

the shape of a ruyi 如意 scepter, which symbolizes many wishes, and an intricate

fretwork. Along the body of the zun 尊 is a landscape that incorporates a wide variety of

colors to allow areas to appear gently washed in color rather than flatly painted. The use

of fencai colors emphasizes the development that occurred during Qianlong’s era. The

scene is created in a painterly style utilizing a Western perspective ensuring a distinct

foreground, midground, and background. A procession of children progresses over a

bridge, not only creating a sense of movement but also connecting to a traditional

Chinese symbol for numerous sons. The combination of Eastern and Western ideals

within this piece of porcelain emphasizes the evolution of porcelain that occurred during

Qianlong’s reign and the mastery of the new innovations at the kilns. Qianlong’s

porcelain style centered on established porcelain techniques but amalgamated numerous

elements within one vessel, pushing the limits of what was possible at the kilns. Such

porcelain often utilized a traditional form with multiple types of decoration, creating a

31 Li, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, 349.
13