{"product_id":"artful-subversion-empress-dowager-cixis-image-making-9780300263435","title":"Artful Subversion: Empress Dowager Cixi's Image Making","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eEmpress Dowager Cixi used art and architecture to establish her authority and showcase her strength and wisdom as a monarch. This book explores a wide range of objects, including portrait paintings, ceramics, fashion, architecture, and garden design, and how Cixi created her own works. It is a compelling study of how a powerful matriarch subverted and upheld the Qing imperial patriarchy. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 208 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 14 February 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: Yale University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEmpress Dowager Cixi, who ruled China from 1861 to 1908, is a fascinating and controversial figure. She is often vilified for her political maneuvering but also admired for modernizing the country. In addition to her political skills, Cixi was an avid art patron, and this beautifully illustrated book explores a wide range of objects that reveal how she used art and architecture to establish her authority.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCixi's art commissions were innovative in the way that they unified two distant conceptions of gender in China at the time. She demonstrated her strength and wisdom as a monarch while highlighting her identity as a woman and mother. Artful Subversion examines commissioned works, including portrait paintings, photographs, ceramics, fashion, architecture, and garden design, as well as work Cixi created herself, such as painting and calligraphy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book is a compelling study of how a powerful matriarch at once subverted and upheld the Qing imperial patriarchy. It sheds light on Cixi's complex personality and her role in shaping Chinese art and culture during her reign. The objects featured in the book are stunning, and the accompanying text provides valuable insights into Cixi's motivations and strategies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOverall, Artful Subversion is a must-read for anyone interested in Chinese history, art, and culture. It offers a fresh perspective on a controversial figure and provides a wealth of information and analysis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 1000g\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 261 x 214 x 21 (mm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9780300263435\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ying-chen Peng","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":44106257498362,"sku":"9780300263435","price":39.04,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1676629375959_book.jpg?v=1676667489","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/artful-subversion-empress-dowager-cixis-image-making-9780300263435","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}