Imperial Ideals

Today, we can still see from the world envisioned by court painters of imperial life and ceremonies of the Mongol court. However, what they more accurately reflected are the ideals and aspirations of imperial clan members themselves. "Dragon Boat Regatta" is such an example. In the Mongol Yuan dynasty, painters used fine and delicate brushwork to render the dragon boat regattas once held in the old capital of the Song dynasty. Artists offered their works to the imperial clan, symbolizing the emperor's vision of peace and prosperity brought to the land and the heritage that he had inherited from the past.

"Portrait of Kublai Khan's Consort (Chabi)" portrays in concrete terms the luxurious accessories of Mongol success and being the empress, including her clothing distinctively embroidered with threads of gold and her imposing symbol of traditional ethnicity represented by the "kuku" crown. In addition to transmitting the sumptuous beauty of the imperial clan, the portrait also reveals a majestic air of dignity through the elegance and poise of the figure. Although Chabi's portrait reveals her non-Chinese heritage, her portrait is monetheless a fulfillment of the traditional Chinese imperial role model of mother and empress for the empire.