{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O109053"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109053/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AA2047/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AA2047/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AA2047","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O109053/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O109053","accessionNumber":"816&A-1896","objectType":"Illustrated manuscript","titles":[{"title":"Explanatory text about the imperial robe","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"\"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.\r\n\r\nAs 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. \r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nThe current two pages bear an explanatory text about the materials and the use of the imperial robe. The text may be translated as follows: \"The Imperial Robes. Note respectfully: According to the regulation of the present Dynasty, their colour are dark blue, and they are embroidered with four coiled-up five-clawed, full-faced golden dragons, with one in front, one at the back, one on the left shoulder and one on the right shoulder. On the one of the left shoulder is arranged the sun, and on the one of the right shoulder the moon, while on the back and front is embroidered the seal script of the characters ‘wan’ or ten thousands and ‘shou’ or longevity. In the intervals are five coloured clouds. In Spring and Autumn they are lined with cotton. In Summer they are made of gauze, and in Winter of fur, all according to the seasons.”","physicalDescription":"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 imperial robe. The text is arranged in nine columns.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Leng Jian","id":"AUTH357288"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"silk","id":"AAT14072"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ink on silk","categories":[{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2006AA2047"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES393746"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES393746"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Illustrated manuscript","id":""}],[{"text":"illustrated manuscript","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Beijing","id":"x32780"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1736-1795","earliest":"1736-01-01","latest":"1795-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"42.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"41.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"The measurements refer to per page","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"\"The Imperial Robes. Note respectfully: According to the regulation of the present Dynasty, their colour are dark blue, and they are embroidered with four coiled-up five-clawed, full-faced golden dragons, with one in front, one at the back, one on the left shoulder and one on the right shoulder. On the one of the left shoulder is arranged the sun, and on the one of the right shoulder the moon, while on the back and front is embroidered the seal script of the characters ‘wan’ or ten thousands and ‘shou’ or longevity. In the intervals are five coloured clouds. In Spring and Autumn they are lined with cotton. In Summer they are made of gauze, and in Winter of fur, all according to the seasons.”","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"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. \r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nThese pages belong to the first of four groups of leaves from the manuscript acquired by the museum.\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Page of the illustrated manuscript \"The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty.\" It bears an explanatory text about an imperial robe.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"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.\r\nLiu, 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."}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["816-1896","816A-1896"],"accessionNumberNum":"816","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1896,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Illustrated manuscript","illustrated manuscript"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-21","recordCreationDate":"2005-02-07","availableToBook":false}}