Metaphor of Jade: An Investigation of the Political and Aesthetic Implications of Qianlong's Jade Wares(PDF)
《南京师大学报》（社会科学版）[ISSN:1006-6977/CN:61-1281/TN]
- Issue:
- 2023年01期
- Page:
- 147-157
- Research Field:
- 语言文学研究
- Publishing date:
Info
- Title:
- Metaphor of Jade: An Investigation of the Political and Aesthetic Implications of Qianlong's Jade Wares
- Author(s):
- LIU Tingting; LI Changshu
- Keywords:
- Qianlong; jade ware; political aesthetics; aesthetic implication
- PACS:
- -
- DOI:
- -
- Abstract:
- Jade is a kind of silent language. As for the jade wares related to Emperor Qianlong's political life, they possess not only the value of artistic appreciation but also many political and aesthetic implications. In order to achieve dominant legitimacy and establish imperial prestige, Qianlong once regarded the jade seal as his own identity medal. Through the improvement of the jade seal system, he strengthened the significance of the emperor's status symbol and the legitimacy of governance, and showed his desire to rule for a long time. After his ruling during the prosperous times, Qianlong used artistic images to charm the people and create power images to show off his achievements. The creation of the jade sculpture Dayu zhishui 大禹治水(Sage King Yu Controlling the Flood )under his leadership not only demonstrated the exclusive imperial authority over jade resources, but also constituted a monument to honor his political achievements in bringing about the “stability of the country” and in promoting “virtue and education”. While the alienation of the aesthetic taste of jade occurred, Qianlong exercised discipline on jade industry to establish cultural leadership so as to carry out the “governance” over the intellectual class and the civilian class as well. The research on the political aesthetics in Qianlong's jade wares tries to return to the origin of aesthetics, but at the same time, between the limited freedom of politics and unlimited freedom of aesthetics, it shows the complexity of humanity coming from the duality of an individual as both an “aesthetic person” and a “political person”. The metaphor of jade, in the obvious and implicit relationship between aesthetics and politics, constantly reveals the fact that Qianlong was in possession of the supreme power.
Last Update: 2023-02-25