Research On Pigments For Decorative Polychrome Painting In Official Handicraft Regulations And Precedents Of Qing Dynasty

The Handicraft Regulations and Precedents(Jiangzuo Zeli匠作则例)contained a large number of information on pigments.However,most of the pigment names are unintelligible today,which limits researchers’knowledge of pigments in the scope of the empirical knowledge of contemporary craftsmen.On the other hand,scientific analysis results of historic pigments cannot be verified with the records in Regulations or archives of the Qing Dynasty.In the craft knowledge system of craftsmen in the Qing Dynasty,which kinds of pigments should be used in official style decorative polychrome paintings,and which were actually used?How did the craftsmen make such choice?And how did the pigments affect the final appearance of decorative polychrome architectural paintings?These are the questions the study seeks to answer.This study is focused on the pigments used in the official style decorative polychrome painting(Caihua,彩画)of the Qing Dynasty.The Handicraft Regulations and Precedents was used as the key literature material.The main purpose of the study was to depict an overall image of the application and circulation of pigment in Qing China,and the circulation of pigments in construction activities.Physical and literary evidence corroborate each other in this study.The main physical materials used are scientific analysis data on polychrome cultural relics in the Qing Dynasty.The data of 127 cases with painted-surface were collected from publications in 1978-2018(including 33 cases investigated by the author).The literature materials consist of 52 kinds of Handicraft Regulations and Precedents on the craft of decorative polychrome painting(Caihua Zuo彩画作),as well as the official Regulations and archives of the Qing Dynasty.Meanwhile,the historical archives of Chinese Maritime Customs,tariffs and other historical trade documents were also used to support the description of imported pigments.Based on the philological work carried out on the Regulations involved,hundreds of historical names of pigments were collected from the archives of the Qing Dynasty,including the Regulations.This list of pigments were compared to the archaeological evidence and scientific analysis data,leads to a better understanding of more than twenty unknown pigments,such as sky blue(Tianqing,天青),plum-blossom blue(Meihuaqing,梅花青),purple-blue(Ziyanqing,紫艳青),sal-ammoniac green(Naoshalv,硇砂绿),foreign blue(Yangqing,洋青),and Yuzi gold(Yuzijin,鱼子金),etc.Besides,more than30 kinds of pigments were examined in depth,revealing their historical names,properties,applications,sources and other aspects,to correct and improve the current understanding.The source,trade and application of imported pigments in Qing China is another important issue in this study.A large number of trade archives,notes and other primary data were collected to clarify the history of pigment imports and exports in Qing China.The study dives deep into several of the most important imported pigments: smalt,artificial ultramarine,Paris green,and Prussian blue.For each pigment,the study indicates when and how it was imported to China,the evolution of its Chinese historic name,as well as its application and the history of trade.The study concludes that the circulation of pigments in the royal construction activities of the Qing Dynasty generally went through several stages: acquisition,storage,application,preparation-application,reimbursement,composing a completed and normative process.Since the middle period of the Qing Dynasty,the application of imported pigments in architectural paintings and other craftsmanship has increased,and took a dominant position in the late 19 th century.To replace the expensive materials in the Regulations with lower-cost imported pigments has gradually become a routine;however,it has never been recorded in the official regulations issued by the government.It results in a discrepancy between construction practices and regulations over time.The choice of pigment is on the game structure including technology,economy and culture,while the materials have a subtle effect on the final appearance of the decorative polychrome painting.Therefore,the common cultural perspective is insufficient to understand the colour of Chinese architecture.The material,including pigments,along with the economic and technical factors behind,should never be neglected.