Page 90 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

rather than to the works of the earlier Qing dynasty. The wares Cixi commissioned are

characterized by new patterns and should therefore be considered new rather than

reproductions of earlier works. Although scholars typically associate Cixi’s porcelain

with inspiration from Qianlong or Kangxi wares, after evaluating the styles, it is evident

that this is not the case. Despite the wares all appearing somewhat similar, it is far more

likely that Cixi was simply inspired by her daily interactions rather than previous

imperial porcelain styles. Her own painted works appear to share similar imagery to the

porcelain she specifically commissioned, suggesting that she may have created her own

imagery to place on the dayazhai wares rather than copying previous imperial designs.

1.6 Wedding Porcelain

Another major aspect of Cixi’s patronage was the commissioning of wedding

porcelain. Wedding porcelain was unique to the empress dowager because she served as

regent for two emperors who married in what was regarded as a Grand Wedding. This

ceremony was reserved for rulers who took an empress after their accession to the throne

and therefore held the ceremony inside the Forbidden City. During the long reign of the

Qing, only four emperors had such ceremonies: Shunzhi (r. 1644–1661), Kangxi (r.

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1662–1722), Tongzhi (r. 1862–1874), and Guangxu (r. 1875–1908). This opportunity
allowed Cixi the sole ability to commission two distinct orders of wedding porcelain

during her time at court. Drawing on traditional Han and Manchu customs, the Grand

Wedding was meant to bestow supreme power on the emperor. Despite this intention,

92 This topic was explored in the exhibition “Ceremony and Celebration: The Grand Weddings of
the Qing Emperors” at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, with artifacts on loan from the Palace
Museum, Beijing. The exhibition ran from November 30, 2016 – February 27, 2017.

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