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How important was glass in the Qing Dynasty?
How important was glass in the Qing Dynasty?
Glass is not a rare thing for modern people, so many people may have the illusion that glass is a modern material. In fact, in the world, the earliest glass makers were ancient Egyptians. The origin of China's glass technology can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty or earlier, and reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty.
Since the establishment of the Qing Palace Glass Factory in the Kangxi Dynasty in the Qing Dynasty, glass production has always been the focus of every emperor in the Qing Dynasty, especially the three emperors Kang, Yong and Qian. Among them, the glass manufacturing of the Yongzheng Dynasty played an important role in the history of glass development in the Qing Dynasty, and was an important stage connecting the past and the future， Glass product .
At the beginning of the 18th century, there were a large number of glass decoration components in the court buildings of the Qing Dynasty. In the Yuanmingyuan, there are many building components with glass decoration, such as screens, mirrors, windows, etc. For example, in September of the first year of Yongzheng's reign (1723), "Woodwork" recorded that three rosewood glass insets were made. The largest one was eight feet high, of which the mirror was six feet three inches high and three feet four inches wide; In addition, there is one rosewood edge glass screen, the mirror is one foot six inches and five centimeters high and one foot three inches and five centimeters wide. In September of the third year of Yongzheng's reign (1725), the "Woodwork" recorded that "a double-round glass window with a diameter of two feet and two inches is made under the fairy building in the back hall of the Yuanmingyuan, and the side is made of hardwood. The front one is painted with festival double happiness, and the back one is made of glass." There was a "collection glass window" in Penglai Island, and some glass windows also have flowers or landscape stickers.
In addition to the function of architectural decoration, glassware also had a close relationship with the imperial government and played an important role in the Qing Dynasty. Let's take the Yongzheng Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty as an example to see how important the common glass was in the eyes of modern people at that time
Symbol of official status
The production of glass in the Yongzheng Dynasty has developed steadily on the basis of the Kangxi Dynasty. According to the records of the Yongzheng Dynasty, the color of glass has reached more than 30 kinds, and the shapes of utensils are various. In addition, glass has been used as decoration instead of gemstones on a variety of handicrafts. However, the functions of these glass products are not limited to pure furnishings and daily necessities, but also related to the government, especially the official clothing. The glass hat top is typical.
Volume 99 of the Records of the Emperor Shizong of the Qing Dynasty records that "the Department of Imperial Rites: the caps of the big and small officials have been agreed before, but have not been determined in detail, and then the Department of Imperial Rites has been agreed to customize the instrument.... The Fengguo General and the Third Rank Officer all use sapphire or blue clear glass facing caps, inlaid with small rubies; the Fengen General and the Fourth Rank Officer all use lapis lazuli or blue nirvana (that is, opaque) Glass facing cap, inlaid with small sapphire; The five-grade official crystal or white clear glass facing cap is inlaid with small sapphires; Six official Tridacna (ch ē Q ú is a rare organic gem, white as jade, and also a Buddhist holy thing.) Or white nirvana glass facing cap, inlaid with small sapphire... "
It is clearly stipulated that glass decoration should be used on the hats of officials from the third to sixth grades. Then why should we add glass products to the dress code? There is only one explanation, that is, the supply of natural gemstones is in short supply, and at the same time, glass was regarded as the same valuable thing as natural gemstones at that time. Therefore, the word "or" is used in the text to clarify the equal status of gem and glass. The glass hat top was incorporated into the crown system in the Yongzheng Dynasty, which pioneered the production of the top of the official hat with glass. Later, the Qianlong Dynasty also replaced the gem with glass to make the hat top, and extended it to the relatives of the emperor.
Venus Glass Sanyang Kaitai Shanzi
Height 12.5 cm, length 22 cm
Valuable rewards to vassal states
The Qing Dynasty thought that it was the "Heavenly Kingdom" in the center, and the neighboring countries needed to offer tribute to the Qing Dynasty on a regular basis. Whenever the new king ascends the pole or has a major festival, the country should send an envoy to celebrate and request the canonization. The Qing government had the obligation to maintain the feudal ruling order of the country. It sent envoys to various countries to issue imperial edicts and imperial edicts, and also awarded a large number of precious items to the king of the country and the envoys who paid tribute to the country.
Glassware, like jade, enamel, magnetics, satin and other articles, was one of the important gifts that the Qing Dynasty gave to neighboring countries. Ryukyu, Siam, Annan, Sulu, Nanzhang and other dependent countries sent envoys to pay tribute to the Qing court at different regular times. The Qing court also often returned gifts such as satin in varying amounts according to the custom. Sometimes, in addition to the regular reward, they also gave jade, enamel, magnetic and other items. Glass ware is an important part of the gifts.
In addition to the rewards to the countries affiliated with the country, glass is also an important gift to attract religious leaders and foreign Mongolia. For example, it is recorded that on the first day of March in the seventh year of Yongzheng's reign, the Panchen Erdeni, the Dalai Lama's round purple and blue glass vases, and the Kui Long Shoushou's white glass covered bowls were awarded. On the 16th day of the first month of the fifth year of Yongzheng's reign, the eunuchs Liu Yu and Wang Changgui sent a message: "First, the Mongolian king and others have used 18 gold colored glasses, 14 carved white glasses, and 25 carved blue glasses in the Qing Tea House of the Qianqing Palace. Then they handed it to the glass making office to make up“
The Qing government rewarded the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama with trendy and precious glass, enamel and other utensils at that time. On the one hand, it was to show the affirmation of the Qing government to the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama religious leaders to the monks and the common people, and to show their courtesy. On the other hand, it is intended to use the influence of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama between Mongolia and Tibet to pacify Mongolia and stabilize Tibet. And the reward to the outside Mongolia reflects the established state policy of the Qing Dynasty to unite Mongolia and attach importance to Mongolia.
Embodiment of the favor of trusted ministers
Different from the bounty of neighboring countries, Tibet, and foreign Mongolia, Yongzheng's bounty to his officials fully reflects the meaning of grace and is a symbol of honor. For example, in general, when awarding items such as the waist knife and the sickle bag to the general soldier according to the convention, a glass snuff bottle is often included; He once rewarded Li Wei's mother with 16 pieces of glassware of various colors; The Governor of Jiangnan River, Ji Zeng, was rewarded with a pair of colored glass bottles and a yellow glass milk stove after the rain.
Throughout history, although the scale and quantity of glass production in the Yongzheng Dynasty could not be compared with that in the Qianlong Dynasty, which was at the peak of glass production industry, it was also because of its small scale and very limited scope of reward, which highlighted the significance and importance of glass as a symbol of status at that time.
Glass is not a rare thing for modern people, so many people may have the illusion that glass is a modern material. In fact, in the world, the earliest glass makers were ancient Egyptians. The origin of China's glass technology can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty or earlier, and reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty.
Since the establishment of the Qing Palace Glass Factory in the Kangxi Dynasty in the Qing Dynasty, glass production has always been the focus of every emperor in the Qing Dynasty, especially the three emperors Kang, Yong and Qian. Among them, the glass manufacturing of the Yongzheng Dynasty played an important role in the history of glass development in the Qing Dynasty, and was an important stage connecting the past and the future， Glass product .
At the beginning of the 18th century, there were a large number of glass decoration components in the court buildings of the Qing Dynasty. In the Yuanmingyuan, there are many building components with glass decoration, such as screens, mirrors, windows, etc. For example, in September of the first year of Yongzheng's reign (1723), "Woodwork" recorded that three rosewood glass insets were made. The largest one was eight feet high, of which the mirror was six feet three inches high and three feet four inches wide; In addition, there is one rosewood edge glass screen, the mirror is one foot six inches and five centimeters high and one foot three inches and five centimeters wide. In September of the third year of Yongzheng's reign (1725), the "Woodwork" recorded that "a double-round glass window with a diameter of two feet and two inches is made under the fairy building in the back hall of the Yuanmingyuan, and the side is made of hardwood. The front one is painted with festival double happiness, and the back one is made of glass." There was a "collection glass window" in Penglai Island, and some glass windows also have flowers or landscape stickers.
In addition to the function of architectural decoration, glassware also had a close relationship with the imperial government and played an important role in the Qing Dynasty. Let's take the Yongzheng Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty as an example to see how important the common glass was in the eyes of modern people at that time
Symbol of official status
The production of glass in the Yongzheng Dynasty has developed steadily on the basis of the Kangxi Dynasty. According to the records of the Yongzheng Dynasty, the color of glass has reached more than 30 kinds, and the shapes of utensils are various. In addition, glass has been used as decoration instead of gemstones on a variety of handicrafts. However, the functions of these glass products are not limited to pure furnishings and daily necessities, but also related to the government, especially the official clothing. The glass hat top is typical.
Volume 99 of the Records of the Emperor Shizong of the Qing Dynasty records that "the Department of Imperial Rites: the caps of the big and small officials have been agreed before, but have not been determined in detail, and then the Department of Imperial Rites has been agreed to customize the instrument.... The Fengguo General and the Third Rank Officer all use sapphire or blue clear glass facing caps, inlaid with small rubies; the Fengen General and the Fourth Rank Officer all use lapis lazuli or blue nirvana (that is, opaque) Glass facing cap, inlaid with small sapphire; The five-grade official crystal or white clear glass facing cap is inlaid with small sapphires; Six official Tridacna (ch ē Q ú is a rare organic gem, white as jade, and also a Buddhist holy thing.) Or white nirvana glass facing cap, inlaid with small sapphire... "
It is clearly stipulated that glass decoration should be used on the hats of officials from the third to sixth grades. Then why should we add glass products to the dress code? There is only one explanation, that is, the supply of natural gemstones is in short supply, and at the same time, glass was regarded as the same valuable thing as natural gemstones at that time. Therefore, the word "or" is used in the text to clarify the equal status of gem and glass. The glass hat top was incorporated into the crown system in the Yongzheng Dynasty, which pioneered the production of the top of the official hat with glass. Later, the Qianlong Dynasty also replaced the gem with glass to make the hat top, and extended it to the relatives of the emperor.
Venus Glass Sanyang Kaitai Shanzi
Height 12.5 cm, length 22 cm
Valuable rewards to vassal states
The Qing Dynasty thought that it was the "Heavenly Kingdom" in the center, and the neighboring countries needed to offer tribute to the Qing Dynasty on a regular basis. Whenever the new king ascends the pole or has a major festival, the country should send an envoy to celebrate and request the canonization. The Qing government had the obligation to maintain the feudal ruling order of the country. It sent envoys to various countries to issue imperial edicts and imperial edicts, and also awarded a large number of precious items to the king of the country and the envoys who paid tribute to the country.
Glassware, like jade, enamel, magnetics, satin and other articles, was one of the important gifts that the Qing Dynasty gave to neighboring countries. Ryukyu, Siam, Annan, Sulu, Nanzhang and other dependent countries sent envoys to pay tribute to the Qing court at different regular times. The Qing court also often returned gifts such as satin in varying amounts according to the custom. Sometimes, in addition to the regular reward, they also gave jade, enamel, magnetic and other items. Glass ware is an important part of the gifts.
In addition to the rewards to the countries affiliated with the country, glass is also an important gift to attract religious leaders and foreign Mongolia. For example, it is recorded that on the first day of March in the seventh year of Yongzheng's reign, the Panchen Erdeni, the Dalai Lama's round purple and blue glass vases, and the Kui Long Shoushou's white glass covered bowls were awarded. On the 16th day of the first month of the fifth year of Yongzheng's reign, the eunuchs Liu Yu and Wang Changgui sent a message: "First, the Mongolian king and others have used 18 gold colored glasses, 14 carved white glasses, and 25 carved blue glasses in the Qing Tea House of the Qianqing Palace. Then they handed it to the glass making office to make up“
The Qing government rewarded the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama with trendy and precious glass, enamel and other utensils at that time. On the one hand, it was to show the affirmation of the Qing government to the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama religious leaders to the monks and the common people, and to show their courtesy. On the other hand, it is intended to use the influence of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama between Mongolia and Tibet to pacify Mongolia and stabilize Tibet. And the reward to the outside Mongolia reflects the established state policy of the Qing Dynasty to unite Mongolia and attach importance to Mongolia.
Embodiment of the favor of trusted ministers
Different from the bounty of neighboring countries, Tibet, and foreign Mongolia, Yongzheng's bounty to his officials fully reflects the meaning of grace and is a symbol of honor. For example, in general, when awarding items such as the waist knife and the sickle bag to the general soldier according to the convention, a glass snuff bottle is often included; He once rewarded Li Wei's mother with 16 pieces of glassware of various colors; The Governor of Jiangnan River, Ji Zeng, was rewarded with a pair of colored glass bottles and a yellow glass milk stove after the rain.
Throughout history, although the scale and quantity of glass production in the Yongzheng Dynasty could not be compared with that in the Qianlong Dynasty, which was at the peak of glass production industry, it was also because of its small scale and very limited scope of reward, which highlighted the significance and importance of glass as a symbol of status at that time.
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