Introduction
In the history of imperial China, a reward given by an emperor was often regarded as one of the most highly valued gifts that a subject could receive. However, there are also many complex sociological and historical factors behind the giving of such gifts, and they remain a mystery that people often want to know more about.
The meaning of the giving of a gift is more complicated than just the gift itself, for the story behind it may be even more interesting. The reciprocity of favors has long been a concept common to many societies. The notion of “li,” which translates as “ritual” or “ceremony,” also forms part of the Chinese word for gift (or “liwu”) that can be interpreted as including amiability and politeness, concepts that could be expressed via the giving of objects as gifts. The concept of “li” sometimes was a means to an end of establishing relations not only between individual people but also countries as well.
This exhibition features palace memorials presented by officials, documents, archives and other historical materials from the Qing dynasty to understand what kinds of gifts the emperor gave to his ministers and officials. Were these gifts the things that others envied? And were there some hidden agendas or implied obligations behind these gifts? Have a look at these memorials with vermilion notes to find the answer to these and other questions.