{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O407060"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O407060/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM5001/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM5001/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM5001","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O407060/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O407060","accessionNumber":"D.1986-1900","objectType":"Album page","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty 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\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\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\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\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.\r\n","physicalDescription":"The album page features handwritten textual annotations accompanying the drawing of D.1987-1900.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2007BM5001"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES393745"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Album page","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"China","id":"x29398"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[],"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 Wolf Constellation Flag which accompanies the escort of the Emperor's great chariot.\r\n\nThis flag is designed strictly in accordance with the patterns laid down in the chapter on the 16 stars of the Wolf Constellation in the astronomical section of the History of the Chin Dynasty (A.D.265-419); also in the chapter on the 6th flags of the 15th and the 22nd constellations [18 3 1 4Y in Gemini] one each, which are borne by the cavalry in front of the Emperor's great chariot, in the section on the guards of ceremony in the History of the Sung Dynasty (960-1279); and in the chapter on the Wolf Constellation flag, blue in colour, borne by. the outside guard and adorned with the 16 stars, in the section on carriage clothes in the History of the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), which was established by decree in the 13th year of the reign of Kien-lung (1748). This flag is made of blue satin, with a sloping edge without border, and is ornamented on the face with the 16 stars of the constellation of the wolf. Its proportions are those of the blue dragon flag, and the staff is identical with that of the flags of the cavalry of the Eight ban-ners. The Wolf constellation flags of the escort of the chariot of the Law are similar in every respect.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The acquisition register notes that D.1947 to D.2017 - 1900 were purchased from the dealer E. Parsons & Sons.  This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.\r\nThe Parsons archive file make no mention of this group of album pages, however, so it is not entirely clear how they were acquired. Research suggests that this group of album pages belongs to the same set of the 'Illustrated Paraphernalia' as another in the V&A, museum numbers 805 to 903 -1886, which may have been take from the Yuanming Yuan (Summer Palace) in 1860 when it was plundered and destroyed by British and French troops during the Second Opium War. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pap, China, paintings and drawings","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["D.1986-1900"],"accessionNumberNum":"1986","accessionNumberPrefix":"D","accessionYear":1900,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-08-14","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":true}}