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Foregrounding the Symbiosis of Power. A rhetorical strategy in some Chinese commemorative art
Author(s) -
Liscomb Kathlyn
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
art history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.1
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1467-8365
pISSN - 0141-6790
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8365.00311
Subject(s) - emperor , foregrounding , prestige , rhetorical question , china , situated , power (physics) , law , sociology , history , political science , art , literature , ancient history , philosophy , linguistics , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence
Although it can be useful to distinguish between official and personal spheres when studying Ming dynasty (1368–1644) China, here the author argues that Ming government officials sometimes found it advantageous to blur the boundaries of these two spheres. This rhetorical strategy foregrounded the officials’ participation in an ideally symbiotic relationship with the emperor they served. The author analyses instances in which leading bureaucrats recontextualized official occasions associated with the emperor to produce commemorations that clearly were not meant to be seen as positioned solely in the official sphere. They situated these works in their own personal spheres in terms of patronage, ownership and authorship of texts prominently featuring their own aims. This was done to enhance their own social status, reaffirm the prestige of office‐holding, and solidify their close relationship with the reigning emperor.