{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O121537"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O121537/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM5015/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM5015/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM5015","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O121537/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O121537","accessionNumber":"887A-1896","objectType":"Page","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<i>The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty </i>is an illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor (reigned 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.\r\n\r\nThe page shows an explanatory text about the River flag borne before the State travelling equipage of the Emperor. The text is arranged in eight columns.\r\n \r\nAs a major imperial commission, the book is of monumental scale. As many as 27 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). \r\n\r\nAfter editing and further expansion, the manuscript was printed by the Palace Publications Office in the Wuying Palace in 1766 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. \r\n\r\nThe book consists of six parts - ceremonial vessels, scientific equipments, dress, musical instruments, insignia and weaponry. They contain more than 1300 leaves of illustrations and explanatory texts. \r\n\r\nThe V&A’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.","physicalDescription":"A page of <u>The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty</u>, 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. The page shows an explanatory text about the River flag borne before the State travelling equipage of the Emperor. The text is arranged in eight 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":"Manuscripts","id":"THES48922"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2007BM5015"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES393745"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Illustrated manuscript","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"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":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"\"The River flag borne before the State travelling equipage of the Emperor is carefully designed, so far as the shape is concerned, in accordance with the section on 'Carriages and Clothes' in the History of the Yuan Dynasty, when it is laid down that the colour should be black. In the account of the Chinese government during the Ming Dynasty it is directed that it should be white, and in the thirteenth year of the Emperor Qianlong (1748) it was imperially ordered that it should be made of white satin, with a sloping edge and without a border. In the middle is embroidered a river. The dimensions of the flag are the same as those of the Green Dragon flag, and the staff is identical with that borne by the Cavalry of the Guard. The River flag borne before the 'Chariot of the Law' in the Imperial cortege is similar to it.\"","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&amp;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 from an illustrated manuscript, Beijing, 1736-1795.","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":"Qing\n\nReason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"flags","id":"AAT195678"},{"text":"旗 (鹵簿)","id":"CIT290212"},{"text":"黃河","id":"CIT278610"},{"text":"大駕","id":"CIT281756"},{"text":"帝王","id":"CIT284683"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"travel","id":"AAT80094"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["887A-1896"],"accessionNumberNum":"887","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1896,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-21","recordCreationDate":"2006-02-28","availableToBook":false}}