The Object Bibliography: The Gold or Wine Cup

Introduction

In the development of the artwork, an object bibliography is an approach to the material culture that tends to highlight the shifting roles and meaning of art over time and context. In the recent past, the archeologists have been for a long time showing a greater interest in the discovering, relating and interpretation of the narratives of sites and classes of the artifacts through their topology as well as serration. However, there is less attention which has been put to the study of the lives of these artifacts as well as their impacts on the society. However, the aspect of lives such as production, breakage, exchange, and disposition can be noted and interpreted. Therefore, for the purpose of this paper, the importance of the gold or wine cup in the ancient Chinese empire is explained. It will also suit to the broader geographical, historical, social and cultural contexts in which it was drawn. Besides, the explanation extends to its connection to the wider cultural tendencies and explores its implications through its style, design, and genre. The study will be very crucial for the educative purposes as well as understanding the roles of the artifacts in influencing the cultural practices in different parts of the world particularly China. It also depicts the imperialism which was depicted in the period around 1700s by the emperor in the Qing's Dynasty.

The Description of the Gold Cup and its Importance

In historical studies, everything has its past as it is manifest in the case of human beings which have their bibliography. The gold cup is not an exception. The gold cup which takes the shape of a round tripod is the cornerstone of the imperial collection of the Qing Dynasty during imperialism. In the year 1739, the emperor Qianlong ordered it to be made during its 30th birthday where it was engraved as the Jinou Yonggu to mean a wish of eternal stability for his Dynasty. The cup was 12.5 cm tall, and it had a caliber measurement of 8 cm. It also had a stem of 5 cm high, and it has been engraved by numerous veins around it. The emperor did pay a lot of attention to the construction of the cup, and it was made of precious metals which comprised of gold, pearls as well as diamond. It was designed for quality craftsmanship, and it was refined in accordance with the Emperor's specifications and supervision, a process which depicts the worth it had during the past and its implication in the present. It is thus considered to be the most valued treasure of the imperial palace. It is because it is remembered as one of the items which mark the birthday of the emperor during the time and to remark the achievements which they had made as well as the manner in which the Chinese emperor during 1700s put a lot of concern for the gold in their emperor.

The Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts of the Gold Cup

The gold cup was adopted by the Qing Dynasty in the year 1739, and they were used by the emperor to drink wine. The cup is commemorated in their national anthem which was formed in 1911, and it tends to represent the empire. In the past during the protectionists' era, gold was a very precious metal in China, and various royal items were made of Gold. The wine cup marked the 30th birthday of Emperor Qing and its Dynasty. It is one of the best in design and craftsmanship, and it was designed mainly for use by the emperor. During the time, all the wine cups were made by the palace's Department of Works. Most of the cups had dragon-shaped handles which tend to comprise of different styles. However, a few had elephant-shaped legs. It is an artifact which was classified as decorative art and was mainly made of Gold. Its creator was not disclosed, and it remained unknown, and it is originally found in China. It was created in the AD 18th century, and it was used for drinking wine by the emperor. The cup comprises of the external territorial integrity which is carved on one side of the cup and the other four characters which were made in the Qianlong reign as was portrayed on the other side of the cup. These symbolized the manner in which ancient China was governed and the mode in which it was controlled over time. Due to its precious nature, the emperor took a keen interest in its production. It was also depicting the cultural background of the Chinese wine brewing and drinking habit which was experienced in the vast lands. The wine consumed by the royalties was known as the Tusu wine which was so precious for the emperor and his clergy. Currently, the cup is owned by the palace museums in Beijing, and it is the palace which receives the credit for the cup's royalty. These tend to express the rule and stability put forth by the emperor during his reign. In the present times, gold cup can be used to show the imperialism which was evident during the emperor rule. It was a period in which China was deliberating on how they could liberate her people from tyrannical rule or of bringing them the blessings of a superior way of life. It reveals a period which was comprised of the economic pressures, greed, aggressiveness, and pursuit of security and the pursuit of power and prestige. It was also comprised of the national emotions and humanitarianism. Therefore, in the state of the presence of the gold cup in the palace museum, the present world, as well as Chinese, can appreciate their history and the far they have to revolve to form the present China government and a prosperous nation.

The Design or Genre and its Implication

The design and production of the gold cup remain to be one of the complexes and sophisticated artifacts in the whole of Chinese art creation history. Its designer remained a mystery, and it can be found in the palace museum. The cup was in the shape of the round tripod and a straight mouth rim with a band of a rectangular spiral pattern. It had a Rosette design which covers the entire outside surface of the cup with the pistils inland with pearls, sapphire, ruby and a couple of jewels. It has two handles which have the shape of the dragon with the pearls which are laid in the dragon's heads. Besides, it has three legs which are in the shape of an elephant with small ears, curled tusks, and long tusks. The cup is 12.5 cm tall; it had a caliber measuring 8 cm and 5 cm high.

From the history, this gold cup is considered to be one of the best in terms of design since it incorporated divergent features of art and at the same time constructed with very expensive materials. Also, there are various veins which tend to be engraved around the cup. In the traditional world, the gold cup is traditionally considered to be the greatest treasure in the imperial palace. Due to the keenness which was put during its construction process by the emperor, the design process depicts the skillfulness of the ancient craftsmanship that designed and made it be the way it is today.

There are various implications which can be driven by the design as well as the shape of the gold cup. First and foremost, the gold and other material which was used to construct it was to depict the material endowment of the ancient Chinese region. It also shows the manner in which the emperor was using its resources to enhance or show the power and authority in the ancient world. For instance, the cup was made by very expensive materials purposely for the emperor to take wine with it. These tend to show that the emperor was showing power and prestige as opposed to providing the resources to the general society which he owed the resources. It also shows that however strong the person, king or a leader may be, a time shall come which its reign must come to pass. It was evident by the fact that the cup was made to show the manner in which the emperor was strong but later it did fall and other leaders did take over from Emperor Qing. Besides, the cup was made in the design of the elephant with small ears, curled trunks and long tusks show the appreciation of nature. It appreciates the ancient wild elephants which were acting as prestige to ancient China. These can tend to give an indication that ancient China was endowed with plenty of natural fauna and flora. It can also bring a realization to the public that the distinction of these natural resources in present China is characterized by the changes in the climatic condition caused by the human activities, industrial actions, catastrophes and the tectonic forces. It is the reason why the specific species of elephants and its features are clearly depicted in the gold cup.

The cups implication can also be driven by its function. The cup was designed during the 30th birthday to commemorate the birth of the emperor. It was mainly used by the emperor for the drinking of wine. These tend to manifest that there was some form of agriculture which was going on in ancient China. These can be linked to the growth of grapes. Besides, it also shows the group of talented individuals who could be able to make wine out of these natural sources. It thus shows that the empire had a skilled labor force which could be able to display a high level of craftsmanship which can still be appreciated currently.

Conclusion

From the analysis, it can be evident that the Gold Cup is one which has a lot of significance in the history of China. It depicts the stability of the empire which was ruled by Emperor Qing. The cup was used by the emperor to drink wine and it was only used by the emperor alone. The cup was made mainly by gold and it is currently kept in the palace museum in China. The cup had various decorations which depicted the natural resources which the ancient china was endowed. Besides, it implies the sense of imperialism which was depicted in the ancient china over a given period of time. The cup is currently very important to the historians as well as other academicians who have interest in learning and understanding the past so as to find the solutions to the current or future problems which can be experienced in China and the world over.

References

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