It's time to appreciate Empress Dowager Cixi's aesthetic taste

After seeing enough of Emperor Qianlong's style, it's time to explore Empress Dowager Cixi's aesthetic vision. Discover how porcelain transformed when women gained influence in the imperial kilns.
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In the late Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi, as the most powerful ruler, profoundly influenced court porcelain with her political intentions, spiritual world, and artistic preferences. Porcelain under her aesthetic guidance was distinctive and richly colored, with the Dayazhai-marked porcelain being the most representative.
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"Dayazhai" originally referred to a study in the "Tiandi Yijiachun" (Harmony of Heaven and Earth) complex of the Old Summer Palace, where Cixi enjoyed Emperor Xianfeng's favor—a place filled with her happiest romantic memories and countless moments of their relationship as both spouses and sovereign-subject. In 1873, Cixi insisted on rebuilding the Old Summer Palace and ordered the imperial kilns to produce Dayazhai porcelain for decorating "Tiandi Yijiachun." These pieces were completed in 1875 and 1876. Though the palace's reconstruction was never realized, Dayazhai porcelain, with its vibrant colors, exquisite craftsmanship, and distinctly feminine aesthetic, represents the pinnacle of late Qing imperial porcelain production.

Post by Travelicious Tastes | Aug 11, 2025