Page 60 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

While the majority of Cixi’s ghost painters remain relatively unknown, her

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favorite ghost painter, Miao Jiahui 繆嘉蕙, was well recorded. Many paintings
attributed to Cixi are thought to have been painted by Miao, then signed using the

Empress Dowager’s official seal. Peach Tree Bough, depicts a lush blooming peach tree

(Figure 4). The peach bough creates a diagonal across the hanging scroll while

simultaneously framing two small bats. The combination of peaches and bats is

frequently utilized within the field of painting. Peaches are symbols of longevity, while

bats represent blessings. Together these motifs symbolize the hope for a long life filled

with numerous blessings. Cixi’s imperial seal is at the top of the hanging scroll

indicating that Cixi painted this depiction herself; however, scholars remain unconvinced

theorizing that Peach tree bough was painted by Miao. The brushwork appears soft with

each object suggested without the use of a dark outline. The employment of a boneless

style throughout the scroll suggests a mastery of both Chinese painting styles and brush

techniques. Regardless of the artist responsible for the painting, it is evident that Cixi

was the primary source behind the style, symbols and techniques used throughout the

composition. Miao was likely heavily influenced by her patron, Cixi, resulting in works

that look strikingly similar to those painted by the empress dowager’s hand. The

influence of Cixi’s artistic style in Miao’s paintings make it exceptionally challenging to

determine one artist from the other. Examples like this hanging scroll begin to allow for

the establishment of a distinct decorative style associated with the Empress Dowager.

42 Michael Sullivan, Art and Artists of Twentieth-Century China (California: University of
California Press, 1996), 6.

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