The Emperor's Nature: A Study of Naturalism in Qing Dynasty Imperial Ceramics from the Nanjing Museum Collection

As a quintessential representation of court art under the feudal imperial system, Qing Dynasty imperial kiln porcelains embody both the imprint of imperial will and the cultural ethos of their age. Their decorative systems serve as a vital medium for interpreting Qing political ideology and aesthetic orientation. The extensive use of naturalistic elements was not a mere artistic choice, but rather a manifestation deeply rooted in the emperors’ complex needs for power construction, cosmological understanding, and cultural expression. Taking the Qing imperial porcelains housed in the Nanjing Museum as primary research objects, this paper focuses on the depictions of plant motifs, animal imagery, and natural landscapes, systematically analyzing the modes of naturalistic expression. In doing so, it reveals the imperial nature embedded within these decorations—encompassing not only the logic of sovereign supremacy and the emulation of natural order, but also the projection of personal tastes and the psychological pursuit of auspicious blessings. Furthermore, by examining the interplay of sociopolitical conditions, levels of economic development, intellectual trends, and individual imperial factors, this study clarifies the formative mechanisms of this stylistic phenomenon, thereby offering a new academic perspective on the interactive relationship between Qing court art and imperial ideology.