Explanatory text about the regimental commander's banners of the rattan-shield brigade
Illustrated Manuscript
1736-1795 (made)
1736-1795 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
"The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty" is an illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor (r.1736-1795). The main body of the commission began in 1750 and was completed in 1759. It was a conclusion of the Emperor's decade long efforts to regulate the ritual codes and procedures as a means of ruling since his enthronement, and serves as a record of the Emperor's passion for a rigid ritualised life.
As one of the major imperial commissions the book is of monumental scale and collaborative in nature. As many as twenty-seven court painters and calligraphers were working on the commission under five editors-in-chief, Yilu (1695-1767), Jiang Pu (1708-1761), Wang Youdun (1692-1758), Guanbao (?-1776) and He Guozong (?-1766). After editing and further expansion in the ensuing years, the manuscript was printed by the Palace Publications Office in the Wuying Palace in 1766, and it was finally included as part of the Four Treasures imperial library project in 1773. For that purpose seven copies were produced and stored in libraries across the empire. The book consists of six parts - ceremonial vessels, scientific equipments, dress, musical instruments, insignia, and weaponry, containing more than 1300 leaves of illustrations and explanatory texts.
The museum's collection of the manuscript is incomplete. All its leaves, together with those in the British Library, in the National Museums of Scotland and in the National Museum of Ireland, may have been part of the version kept in the Wenyuan Pavilion library in the Yuanming yuan Summer Palace, Beijing.
The current two pages bear an explanatory text about the materials and the use of the regimental commander's banners of the rattan-shield brigade. The text may be translated as follows:“Regimental Commander’s Banners of the Rattan-Shield Brigade. Note respectfully: According to the regulation of the present Dynasty, they are made of satin, and the colours of the body and the borders are identical with those of the Commander-in-chief’s banners. On the face a flying bear is embroidered in gold surrounded with burning flames. The diameter vertically is five feet two inches, and across five feet six inches. The border is eight inches wide. The staff is twelve feet five inches long. The top is plated silver inlaid with ornaments. To it is added a satin streamer six feet six inches long and six inches and six-tenths wide. In all other respects the banners are identical with the Guardsman’s banner of the Firearms Brigade.”
As one of the major imperial commissions the book is of monumental scale and collaborative in nature. As many as twenty-seven court painters and calligraphers were working on the commission under five editors-in-chief, Yilu (1695-1767), Jiang Pu (1708-1761), Wang Youdun (1692-1758), Guanbao (?-1776) and He Guozong (?-1766). After editing and further expansion in the ensuing years, the manuscript was printed by the Palace Publications Office in the Wuying Palace in 1766, and it was finally included as part of the Four Treasures imperial library project in 1773. For that purpose seven copies were produced and stored in libraries across the empire. The book consists of six parts - ceremonial vessels, scientific equipments, dress, musical instruments, insignia, and weaponry, containing more than 1300 leaves of illustrations and explanatory texts.
The museum's collection of the manuscript is incomplete. All its leaves, together with those in the British Library, in the National Museums of Scotland and in the National Museum of Ireland, may have been part of the version kept in the Wenyuan Pavilion library in the Yuanming yuan Summer Palace, Beijing.
The current two pages bear an explanatory text about the materials and the use of the regimental commander's banners of the rattan-shield brigade. The text may be translated as follows:“Regimental Commander’s Banners of the Rattan-Shield Brigade. Note respectfully: According to the regulation of the present Dynasty, they are made of satin, and the colours of the body and the borders are identical with those of the Commander-in-chief’s banners. On the face a flying bear is embroidered in gold surrounded with burning flames. The diameter vertically is five feet two inches, and across five feet six inches. The border is eight inches wide. The staff is twelve feet five inches long. The top is plated silver inlaid with ornaments. To it is added a satin streamer six feet six inches long and six inches and six-tenths wide. In all other respects the banners are identical with the Guardsman’s banner of the Firearms Brigade.”
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Title | Explanatory text about the regimental commander's banners of the rattan-shield brigade (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | ink on silk |
| Brief description | Page of the illustrated manuscript "The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty." It bears an explanatory text about the regimental commander's banners of the rattan-shiled brigade. |
| Physical description | Two pages of "The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty", an illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor (r.1736-1795). The book consists of six parts - ceremonial vessels, scientific equipments, dress, musical instruments, insignia, and weaponry, containing more than 1300 leaves of illustrations and explanatory texts. They bear an explanatory text about the regimental commander's banners of the rattan-shield brigade. The text is arranged in twelve columns. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Purchased from Walter H Harris and accessioned in 1896. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. A letter from Mr Harris in the V&A archive files states that the leaves were 'taken from the Summer Palace in Pekin' a reference to the Yuanming yuan, the imperial summer retreat located north of Beijing, which was plundered and destroyed by British and French troops during the Second Opium War in 1860. There is no further information in the file as to how Mr Harris acquired the leaves. The main body of the manuscript commission began in 1750 and it was completed in 1759. As many as twenty-seven court painters and calligraphers were working on the commission under five editors-in-chief, Yilu (1695-1767), Jiang Pu (178-1761), Wang Youdun (1692-1758), Guanbao (?-1776) and He Guozong (?-1766). After editing and further expansion in the ensuing years, the manuscript was printed by the Palace Publications Office in the Wuying Palace in 1766, and it was finally included as part of the Four Treasures imperial library project in 1773. For that purpose seven versions in total were produced and stored in libraries across the empire. The museum's collection of the manuscript is incomplete. All its leaves, together with those in the British Library, in the National Museums of Scotland and in the National Museum of Ireland, may have been part of the version kept in the Wenyuan Pavilion library in the Yuanming Yuan (Summer Palace), Beijing. These pages belong to the first of four groups of leaves from the manuscript acquired by the museum. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Summary | "The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty" is an illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor (r.1736-1795). The main body of the commission began in 1750 and was completed in 1759. It was a conclusion of the Emperor's decade long efforts to regulate the ritual codes and procedures as a means of ruling since his enthronement, and serves as a record of the Emperor's passion for a rigid ritualised life. As one of the major imperial commissions the book is of monumental scale and collaborative in nature. As many as twenty-seven court painters and calligraphers were working on the commission under five editors-in-chief, Yilu (1695-1767), Jiang Pu (1708-1761), Wang Youdun (1692-1758), Guanbao (?-1776) and He Guozong (?-1766). After editing and further expansion in the ensuing years, the manuscript was printed by the Palace Publications Office in the Wuying Palace in 1766, and it was finally included as part of the Four Treasures imperial library project in 1773. For that purpose seven copies were produced and stored in libraries across the empire. The book consists of six parts - ceremonial vessels, scientific equipments, dress, musical instruments, insignia, and weaponry, containing more than 1300 leaves of illustrations and explanatory texts. The museum's collection of the manuscript is incomplete. All its leaves, together with those in the British Library, in the National Museums of Scotland and in the National Museum of Ireland, may have been part of the version kept in the Wenyuan Pavilion library in the Yuanming yuan Summer Palace, Beijing. The current two pages bear an explanatory text about the materials and the use of the regimental commander's banners of the rattan-shield brigade. The text may be translated as follows:“Regimental Commander’s Banners of the Rattan-Shield Brigade. Note respectfully: According to the regulation of the present Dynasty, they are made of satin, and the colours of the body and the borders are identical with those of the Commander-in-chief’s banners. On the face a flying bear is embroidered in gold surrounded with burning flames. The diameter vertically is five feet two inches, and across five feet six inches. The border is eight inches wide. The staff is twelve feet five inches long. The top is plated silver inlaid with ornaments. To it is added a satin streamer six feet six inches long and six inches and six-tenths wide. In all other respects the banners are identical with the Guardsman’s banner of the Firearms Brigade.” |
| Bibliographic reference | Medley, Margret. "'The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Ch'ing Dynasty' in the Victoria and Albert Museum." in Transactionsof the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol.31, 1957/59, pp.95-105.
Liu, Lu. "An Illustrated Manual for Regulating the Qing Society: A Discussion of Several Issues Relating to 'Huangchao liqi tushi'." in Palace Museum Journal (Beijing), no.4. 2004, pp.130-44. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 878&A-1896 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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