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Creating a historical perspective on Chinese femininity

By Vico Lee
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Apr 13, 2003, Page 19

Blossoming Through the Ages: Women in Chinese Art and Culture from the Permanent Collection, (群芳譜－女性的形象與才藝) currently on show at the National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院), presents various aspects of women's lives in China from the Western Chou Dynasty to the early Republican era, a period of almost 3,000 years. The exhibition is divided into two phases, the first running until May 15, and the second from May 17 to June 25. The exhibition occupies four galleries with exhibits ranging from book illustrations, bronzes, ink paintings, photographs and handicrafts.

The exhibition is divided into three sections: Images of Beauty and Refinement -- Changing Ideas of the Feminine (婦容 -- 環肥燕瘦兩俱美), Occupations of Skill and Tradition: Archetypes and Paragons of Womanhood (婦職 -- 閨範與典範) and Talents in Arts and Crafts: From Boudoir to Studio (婦才 -- 從閨房到書房). Looking at women from these three perspectives, the exhibition aims to show how Chinese women adorned themselves and the way they lived at different periods of history.

For people who want to look beyond stereotypical depictions of willowy aristocratic ladies listlessly loitering in courtyards, Blossoming Through the Ages will prove most instructive, as it brings to life not only how various historical periods imposed their stamp on women, but also how women influenced the times in which they lived.

Illustrations, paintings and artifacts make up the rich collection of images depicting Chinese women through the ages. PHOTO COURTESY OF NPM

In the Images of Beauty and Refinement section, some of the most vivid and atypical images come from the Tang Dynasty, a period in which women enjoyed a high degree of personal and artistic freedom. The effects of the liberal environment in which they lived can be seen in many of the exhibits.

The well-preserved Tri-color Glaze Pottery Figure of a Lady Playing Polo, shows a woman engaged in an active outdoor sport, her full-bodied and energetic figure very different from that of the stereotypical, wilting, Oriental beauty.

One of the many highlights of the exhibition is the exquisite Ming Dynasty scroll A Spring Morning in the Han Palace (漢宮春曉). Although the nearly 6m-long scroll depicts an imaginary scene, research suggests that it is based on the court of the Emperor Hsuan of the Han Dynasty, showing characters from the classic historic tale of Wang Chao-chun (王昭君).

The most notable work in this section is probably the anonymous Ching dynasty Portrait in Oil, not just for the image it presents, but also for the very unusual use of oil paints, as opposed to the traditional ink.

The identity of the androgynous female figure dressed in armor, and the source of the painting, remains shrouded in mystery. One theory is that it is a portrait of Hsiang Fei (香妃), a Huei tribeswoman with whom the Chian Lung Emperor of the Ching Dynasty was infatuated. A less exciting theory is that it is merely a Ching princess in fancy dress. As yet, there is no explanation of why the work was executed in oil or why the woman is clad in armor.

The Empress Dowager Tzi-xi (慈禧), who presided over the collapse of the Ching Dynasty, is represented by one painting, but the best known of China's imperial women, the empress Wu Tze-tian (武則天, 625-705), contributes nothing to the exhibition.

Another strange omission is the lack of any representation of bound feet, a practice dating back to the Tang Dynasty and only ended in the 20th century. After all, it was a practice that was thought to enhance beauty and had wide-ranging social consequences.

The Occupations of Skill and Tradition section consists of many images promoting womanly virtues. The Sung Dynasty handscroll The Ladies' Book of Filial Piety (女孝經圖) laid down the guidelines for women of different social classes, represented through scenes of tranquil family life.

Edifying illustrations from later ages seem to encourage more radical conduct. In the Ming Dynasty Two Ladies of Tou (竇氏二女) an illustration for the book Models of Womanhood (閨範十集), praises the extreme conduct of two women who choose death before dishonor.

On the other hand, as women gained wider access to education, one sees, from the Ming Dynasty onward, more depictions of women reading and writing, in contrast to child-rearing and dancing which had predominated in earlier ages.

Although women during the Ming and Ching dynasties had greater access to education, these skills tended to be restricted to aristocrats and courtesans. The exhibits in the Talents in Arts and Crafts section, mostly paintings of flowers and birds -- popular female themes -- make this the least interesting of the three sections, but one not without value.

The first phase of Blossoming Through the Ages: Women in Chinese Art and Culture from the Permanent Collection will run through May 15. The second phase starts May 17 and will run till June 25. The National Palace Museum is located at 221 Chihshan Rd., Taipei (台北市至善路二段221號).
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