Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing China

Porcelain imitation of other materials, or so-called ‘trompe l'oeil’ porcelain, popular from the late Yongzheng to the Qianlong period, has been regarded as an aesthetic representative of Chinese emperors as well as an iconography of court power. Several studies have been conducted to understan...

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Main Author: Chih-en Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA) 2019-06-01
Series:Les Cahiers de Framespa
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/6246
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author Chih-en Chen
author_facet Chih-en Chen
author_sort Chih-en Chen
collection DOAJ
description Porcelain imitation of other materials, or so-called ‘trompe l'oeil’ porcelain, popular from the late Yongzheng to the Qianlong period, has been regarded as an aesthetic representative of Chinese emperors as well as an iconography of court power. Several studies have been conducted to understand the connection between porcelain and emperors’ connoisseurship; however, much of that research has focused on the physical characteristics of porcelain and corresponding imageries, namely the painted antiquity cataloging album. Such object-focused methodology overlooks the concept underlying the works, which is inherently related to their very existence, namely their origin. Pierson characterizes this traditional approach as ‘outward focused’, and suggests a new methodology to overcome its shortcomings. This framework is focused on ‘of the period’ literatures, to define the understanding of certain aesthetics. Therefore, in this essay, numerous Chinese classics are reviewed from Warring States period Lilun to Qing dynasty Hong Lou Meng. Following the terminology investigation over Chinese classic literatures, this research proposes some possible rationale behind a considerable number of trompe l'oeil porcelains passed down from the Qing Imperial workshops which seems to be ignored in Huoji dang. Moreover, based on Huoji dang, this essay aims to understand how Qing dynasty emperors and the Imperial workshop’s reception of trompe l'oeil works of art and their iconographic connotations.
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issn 1760-4761
language English
publishDate 2019-06-01
publisher UMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA)
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spelling doaj-art-2fd6a8682e6a4c12bc2280e6e3ceea352025-01-09T15:43:03ZengUMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA)Les Cahiers de Framespa1760-47612019-06-013110.4000/framespa.6246Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing ChinaChih-en ChenPorcelain imitation of other materials, or so-called ‘trompe l'oeil’ porcelain, popular from the late Yongzheng to the Qianlong period, has been regarded as an aesthetic representative of Chinese emperors as well as an iconography of court power. Several studies have been conducted to understand the connection between porcelain and emperors’ connoisseurship; however, much of that research has focused on the physical characteristics of porcelain and corresponding imageries, namely the painted antiquity cataloging album. Such object-focused methodology overlooks the concept underlying the works, which is inherently related to their very existence, namely their origin. Pierson characterizes this traditional approach as ‘outward focused’, and suggests a new methodology to overcome its shortcomings. This framework is focused on ‘of the period’ literatures, to define the understanding of certain aesthetics. Therefore, in this essay, numerous Chinese classics are reviewed from Warring States period Lilun to Qing dynasty Hong Lou Meng. Following the terminology investigation over Chinese classic literatures, this research proposes some possible rationale behind a considerable number of trompe l'oeil porcelains passed down from the Qing Imperial workshops which seems to be ignored in Huoji dang. Moreover, based on Huoji dang, this essay aims to understand how Qing dynasty emperors and the Imperial workshop’s reception of trompe l'oeil works of art and their iconographic connotations.https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/6246Imperial kilnsQianlongYongzhengOld Summer PalaceTrompe-l’oeil
spellingShingle Chih-en Chen
Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing China
Les Cahiers de Framespa
Imperial kilns
Qianlong
Yongzheng
Old Summer Palace
Trompe-l’oeil
title Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing China
title_full Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing China
title_fullStr Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing China
title_full_unstemmed Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing China
title_short Fooling the eye: trompe l’oeil porcelain in High Qing China
title_sort fooling the eye trompe l oeil porcelain in high qing china
topic Imperial kilns
Qianlong
Yongzheng
Old Summer Palace
Trompe-l’oeil
url https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/6246
work_keys_str_mv AT chihenchen foolingtheeyetrompeloeilporcelaininhighqingchina