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Emperor Qianlong's Hidden Treasures: Reconsidering the Collection of the Qing Imperial Household

Online ISBN:
9789882204515
Print ISBN:
9789888528059
Publisher:
Hong Kong University Press
Book

Emperor Qianlong's Hidden Treasures: Reconsidering the Collection of the Qing Imperial Household

Nicole T. C. Chiang
Nicole T. C. Chiang
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Published online:
21 May 2020
Published in print:
15 November 2019
Online ISBN:
9789882204515
Print ISBN:
9789888528059
Publisher:
Hong Kong University Press

Abstract

This book reconsiders what actually constitutes the collection of the Qing imperial household during the Qianlong reign, which leads to the re-evaluation of the collection’s historiography, implications, significance and function. It questions the common presumption that there was a single and readily definable assemblage, which includes every physical object that had once been kept in the imperial palaces. This study also challenges the pervasive notion that collecting at the Qianlong court was highly individual and that the supposed collection reflected the emperor’s personal preferences and tastes. Lastly, this research confronts the popular interpretation of the function of the assumed collection, which was to display authority and to project various images to different groups of audience.

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