Page 22 - Multifarious Enamels Chiense Art.pdf
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which had become the administrative centre for the Manchus in   PG  )FBWFO   .BO  PG  UIF  8PSMEǘ㦓  ǐ΢を׍
         1625.  Hong Taiji explained his reasons for encouraging hunting in   㟚׾᪹ೣ᣷ᢳᕱⴘ⏯Ỻҷ⚗̃́䢲ഓםᒶ༑ᶐⅴ
         a speech in 1636: ‘What I fear is that children and grandchildren
                                                                  ຠǐ͔ほ᳦ۿы⻍६ۗՑᦱᆒ䢲⡃ᘾ㌻☸᷌㡘䢲
         of later generations will abandon the Old Way, neglect shooting
         and riding, and enter into the Chinese Way’.  He predicted that   ᐅ⻍ἁ̢̃ೝ͠Ց᧊⦨̃䢲ֲ˙ۿॏ⻍㌻ᆘ⿟ᑬ
         if this were to happen then the Qing dynasty would fall (see   ̃׊Ѐೝ⻍̢䢲で⿉+POBUIBO  %   4QFODF⮏η
         Mark C. Elliott, Emperor Qianlong – Son of Heaven, Man of the   Ǘ&NQFSPS PG $IJOB ě 4FMG QPSUSBJU PG ,’BOH
         World, op. cit., p. 52).  However, it was the Kangxi Emperor, who
                                                                  IJTǘ㦓     䢮)BSNPOEXPSUI䣀    䢯ǐ̖㡲
         established the Manchu tradition of regular imperial autumn
                                                                  ̷᪨͠᭸ᑬҷᇥ᳦Ҷ䢲΢Ꭺ࿘㐝ˏҷ⚗ᕒ⼗᪐᥵ǐ
         hunts at Mulan.  The Kangxi Emperor believed that: ‘The hunt
         is also training for war, a test of discipline and organisation: the   ͔᪨ျᑳ́ᕒ⼗ˮۈᐷ٪ܔ٪䢲ᴰ࿂ྤᒣⅲ㬘ص࠶
         squads of hunters have to be organised on military principles, not   ᆪǐẗἁയܡ἖ݸᆻྐྵ⡊〕ᆘᒶ㇦࿘ស̢䢲΢െ❲
         according to convenience on the march or family preferences (see
                                                                  ᇥݸⅬዩ㫡ധᇦ๾䢲˾⦰✁⠙゠Ց㑓ഩ䢲६ἁܔូ
         Jonathan D. Spence, Emperor of China – Self-portrait of K’ang-hsi,
                                                                  Ⴭ⟵㕵૯ǐ
         Harmondworth, 1977, pp. 12-13).  The Qianlong Emperor was also
         proud of the Manchu heritage and concerned that it might be lost.
                                                                  ⁳᢬ۿ≹䢲㶏ۢἁ㶏ⅲ㧍ᖏയ̖㡲Ϝを׆ՓჍ⟵䢲
         He feared that the Manchus would become too integrated into
         Chinese culture and would lose their martial capabilities.  Hunting   ̖㡲ໝ㟢バ૨೫ང₝ݸ⼾㨫Ⳕ⻒ި䢮ᩱ⯯⁅ࣰ͠⦰
         may have been enjoyable for the emperor and his retinue, but it   ኯ⚘ᾫῙ⓼Ւ͔ᖏㇲ䢯Ѐᒶᕏωϡㄗǐ㐝㧛㧍ᖏഄ
         was also important for the preservation and development of riding   Ⴭ⎻⎟䢲˞⧀᭸ᑬⅲ㕵૯ҷ⚗ၔၔ⇂㠛ǐ΢⻢ήᆾ
         and shooting skills as well as for practice in the organisation and
                                                                  ᧊⣵⧀ⳇ⡩Ⅾ㶏ബట⟞⡅ള̃۠ള䢲⡊ᕴሠި᢫ᒶ
         deployment of troops.
                                                                  Ւˮⅲ๰෋̃ηǐ
         Not surprisingly, therefore, the theme of deer and deer hunting
         in art was important to the Qianlong emperor, as can be seen
         in numerous court paintings dating to his reign as well as in the
         decorative arts - not only porcelain, but other media, including
         cloisonné enamel.  The subject was not only an auspicious one,
         but closely tied to important Manchu traditions.  Rarely, however,
         was the theme so well depicted as it is on the magnificent blue-
         handled ‘hundred deer’ vases like that in the current sale.


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