Page 78 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

body. Subtle shading throughout the cobalt application allows the dragon to take on a

painterly tonality. Cixi was clearly inspired by earlier porcelain produced for the

imperial court during the Ming era and the reign of Kangxi. To the viewer, Cixi’s

commissioned porcelain appears strikingly similar to those earlier imperial wares. Cixi

clearly incorporated the past traditions of porcelain within her own modern

interpretations of the art form, which allowed for this specific dragon motif in Large Dish

to personify imperial power thriving under her patronage. While the Large Dish utilized

Cixi’s reign mark, other similar examples exist with the reign marks of Tongzhi and

Guangxu. The commonalities between wares displaying Cixi’s mark and the wares

associated with the emperor’s indicate the magnitude of the Empress Dowager’s

patronage during the late Qing.

1.5 Dayazhai

Unlike the porcelain that was produced for the emperors, the wares that are

associated with Cixi’s specific reign mark, dayazhai, have the highest level of artistic

deviation. It is these specific wares that allow this study to truly establish what Cixi’s

porcelain aesthetic was and how this style shaped the porcelain of the late Qing dynasty.

Cixi commissioned her own set of porcelain from the imperial kilns using the reign mark

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dayazhai, or “abode of great refinement.” Based on the examination of numerous

examples of dayazhai wares, this study challenges the established viewpoint that

dayazhai is inferior to other imperial porcelain. The dayazhai wares exemplify a break

73 Many scholars question the validity of the dayazhai mark as it is not a existing palatial site
within the Forbidden City. However, the continual renovations within the Forbidden City are now
thought to have obstructed the original location.

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