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- Historical Background
The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was brought down for the same reasons that had plagued previous regimes in Chinese history: too much power in the hands of corrupt eunuchs at court, widespread banditry throughout the country, and a powerful enemy on the northern frontier waiting to take advantage of any sign of weakness.
In 1644 a Chinese rebel army seized Beijing, so a Ming general who was defending the Great Wall appealed for help from the Manchu nation in the northeast. The Manchus defeated the Chinese rebels and refused to leave Beijing. In fact, they brought their emperor to the city and made it their capital. Their dynasty, known as the Qing (Pure) dynasty, imposed its control over the whole country and would rule China until 1912.
Although Beijing and the northern provinces easily fell into the hands of the Manchus, the conquest of China was technically not completed until 1681. Once in control the Manchus set about revitalizing the administration along traditional Confucian lines. Kangxi, the son of the first emperor, ascended the throne in 1662 at a very young age. In later years, by his administrative skills and also by the fact that he himself was the instigator of a great revival of interest in Chinese literature, and arts and crafts, he won the approval of most of the Chinese people.
His son, Yongzheng (1723-35), and his grandson, Qianlong (1736-95) 5 also proved to be excellent rulers, and made China the paramount power in Asia. The period of these three �enlightened despots� with their combination of authoritarianism and intelligence, culture and broad outlook, came to be known historically as the High Qing Period (1662-1795). Subsequently, European powers at this time not only looked upon China with great respect, but were also influenced by the thought and the arts of China. This Oriental influence on European art came to be known as Chinoiserie.
The porcelain described here belongs to this politically stable and prosperous period in Chinese history. Under the patronage of these three emperors, the potters of the High Qing period attained mastery of techniques that was never to be surpassed and is often
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