Art and Collecting at the Court

1. Jiaqing reign (1796-1820), Qing dynasty

Rendered in white jade, the surface of this hu vessel is undecorated except for the spout, which is rendered in the form of a phoenix head, and the ruyi handle. The lid is carved in the form of a peony blossom. The vessel underside is engraved in clerical script with a reign mark for "For Jiaqing imperial use." The phoenix, peony, and ruyi are all symbols of auspiciousness and prosperity, while the undecorated body of the vessel highlights the pure luster of the jade. This hu is one of the few surviving vessels with a reign mark for the imperial use of Jiaqing. The lines are simple and the form sedate. There is a white ram'shead jade handled hu bearing the same reign mark in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Many of the poems written by the Jiaqing emperor deal with tea, suggesting that he probably paid particular attention to implements and vessels dealing with its storage and preparation.

1. Jiaqing reign (1796-1820), Qing dynasty

In the Jiaqing emperor's Anthology of Imperial Poetry, the emperor in the first month of every lunar year would write poetry "In Praise of a Jade Ruyi" in the hope that everything in the New Year would go smoothly, the translation of ruyi being "as you wish." With the exception of the years 1800 to 1802, when the Jiaqing emperor observed mourning for the passing of his father in 1799, he wrote such poems every year. Actually, the tradition of writing poetry "In Praise of a Jade Ruyi" began under his father, the Qianlong emperor, in the year 1771. This ruyi scepter is carved from a piece of dark green jade and features three inlays of white jade with engraving in shallow relief for the head, body, and end. The decoration on the head is a scene of heavenly bamboo and butterflies, the body engraved with chrysanthemum blossoms, and the end piece with rhodea, also known as the "evergreen" plant. Together, they convey the idea of prosperity and longevity. The handle is also engraved with poetry of the Jiaqing emperor in clerical script filled with gold. The lower one features two lines from "In Praise of a Jade Ruyi" from the year 1804 and commends the ruyi's function as a scepter and its pleasing decoration. The form is rounded and the shape simple with an elegant combination of colors to convey a sedate yet unsophisticated beauty.

1. Jiaqing reign (1796-1820), Qing dynasty

These paired painting sticks come in white, blue, red, green, and yellow, totaling ten in all. They are placed in a black lacquered box with for the album Wanchun Jiqing (Collecting Celebrations of a Myriad Springs), made in the 14th Jiaqing year (1809). The box is painted with a pair of dragons in gold and features mother-of-pearl inlay. The subject comes from an album by Dong Gao (1740-1818) giving the title of the same name by the Jiaqing emperor in his 7th reign year (1802). The characters for "wan (myriad)" and "chun (spring)" come from the "Wanhu Chunsheng (Sounds of Spring in a Myriad Households)" with a total of ten landscapes painted in colors and each leaf featuring an imperial inscription of poetry by the Jiaqing emperor. On one side of the sticks is an imperial poem in regular script filled with gold, and the other has the corresponding painting by Dong Gao with the essential motifs rearranged in a new composition. The engraving is delicate and the arrangement skillful, representing the quality of making ink sticks in the Jiaqing reign.

1. Huang Yue (1750-1841)
2. Album leaf, ink and colors on paper
3. Qing dynasty

Huang Yue (style name Zuotian), a native of Dangtu in Anhui, was a Presented Scholar in the 55th year of the Qianlong reign (1790). After the Jiaqing emperor personally assumed control of the country, Huang Yue was recommended by Jiaqing's teacher, Zhu Gui (1731-1806), and thereafter became a favored artist at court. Huang Yue excelled at painting and calligraphy, the works he submitted being much admired by the emperor, who frequently wrote inscriptions for them. He was also ordered to take part in the third compilation of the imperial catalogues Midian Zhulin (Pearly Forests of the Secret Palace) and Shichu Baoji (Treasured Cases of the Stone Moat). This album depicts various customs associated with the Lunar New Year. The brushwork is simple and straightforward with a slightly cartoonish effect. Each leaf has an inscription of poetry by the Jiaqing emperor, album probably done by Huang Yue for the New Year in the 16th year of the Jiaqing reign (1811).

1. Dong Gao (1740-1818)
2. Album leaf, ink and colors on paper
3. 3rd year of the Jiaqing reign (1798), Qing dynasty

Dong Gao, a native of Fuyang in Zhejiang, was the son of Dong Bangda (1699-1769), an important poet-painter official at the court of the Qianlong emperor. Dong Gao became a Presented Scholar in the 28th year of the Qianlong reign (1763) and rose to the rank of Grand Academician in the Jiaqing reign. Following in the family tradition, he excelled at poetry, belles-lettres, painting, and calligraphy, being highly appreciated by both the Qianlong and Jiaqing emperors; many of his works found their way into the court collection. This work is an album of blossoms painted on 24 leaves that appear to follow the seasons, making the subject flowers of the four seasons. The coloring is pure and beautiful with some of the leaves and blossoms patternistic, adding a simple yet decorative touch to the liveliness. Using his heavy and upright style of calligraphy, the Jiaqing emperor wrote the title for the individual leaves.