Page 67 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

jardinières. In the painting, a pair of birds faces one another while sitting atop a rock.

The scene fills the lower right of the hanging scroll. In comparison, the jardinères

feature an asymmetrical branch with a pair of birds facing one another, forming a strong

asymmetrical line across the body of the vessel. Both forms utilize the same variety of

bird, namely the ribbon-tailed bird (shoudainiao 綬帶鳥). The bird’s name denotes the

most visible attribute: its long, ribbon-like tail. The long tail represents longevity, and in

the case of both objects, the inclusion of two birds indicates double longevity. The

inclusion of a bird and flower design relates the depiction to traditional Chinese bird-and-

flower painting (huaniao hua 花鳥畫) joining the works produced by Cixi to the

paintings cultivated in the past. In both the painting and the porcelain the birds appear in

combination with other auspicious symbols, further emphasizing the objects intended

meaning. The birds on the jardinière appear identical, if not inspired by Cixi’s painting,

proving that Cixi clearly utilized her own artwork when commissioning porcelain wares.

The shared iconography indicates that cross-exchange occurred between Cixi’s patronage

of porcelain and painting.

A connection between painting styles and those occurring simultaneously in

porcelain is apparent. Cixi’s involvement in painting suggests that aspects of Cixi’s

porcelain patronage were directly influenced by the painting styles she was cultivating

within the imperial court. Cixi’s preference for floral motifs that demonstrate soft

painterly brushwork can be found within her porcelain, as can a reliance on auspicious

symbols. While painting was incorporating new styles that appear to show the influence

of Westernization and the modern world, similar transitions appear in Cixi’s porcelain

28