Xue Yi: Historical Construction and Contemporary Interpretation of Systems, Techniques, and Transmission—A Discussion Based on "Research on Examples of Qing Dynasty Court Craft Transmission"

Abstract: This article reviews "A Study of Exemplary Inheritance of Qing Dynasty Imperial Crafts," systematically outlining the book's academic contributions to the study of Qing imperial crafts. The author uses the Imperial Household Department's Workshops (Zaobanchu) as an institutional fulcrum, employing a "archives—artifacts—fieldwork" triple-evidence approach to reconstruct the interwoven landscape of craft inheritance among emperors, officials, and artisans. The study reveals multiple tensions between institutions, technology, and individual agency. Breaking from traditional narratives focused on objects, the research introduces a "Forbidden City Cultural Circle" perspective, demonstrating the interactive logic between the court and local areas in the flow of craftsmanship. Simultaneously, it reinterprets "historical crafts" as "living heritage," offering a historically deep and actionable reference for contemporary intangible cultural heritage protection. The entire book combines the depth of institutional history with the detail of material culture, advancing the study of Qing imperial crafts from individual textual research to systematic construction.

Keywords: Qing Dynasty imperial crafts; Zaobanchu (Imperial Household Department Workshops); living inheritance; Forbidden City cultural circle

Coinciding with the Palace Museum's centennial anniversary, "A Study of Exemplary Inheritance of Qing Dynasty Imperial Crafts" is one of the key achievements of the Palace Museum's open research program, completed over three years by Professor Du Hao's research team from Hebei University. The book uses the Qing Dynasty Imperial Household Department's Workshops (Zaobanchu) as its entry point, systematically organizing the inheritance paths, craft systems, and contemporary significance of imperial crafts. It achieves breakthroughs in institutional history and material culture history, and, from the perspective of "living inheritance," provides a new framework for discussion to deepen "Palace Studies."

I. Systemic Construction: The Zaobanchu and the Generative Logic of Imperial Crafts

Over the past two decades, a foundational framework for research has gradually formed, centered on Qing imperial archives, the institutional system of royal workshops, and court material culture. A common characteristic of this framework is its reliance on institutional materials as the backbone, with craft products and artisan groups as the analytical focus. By revealing the interplay between production structures, power intervention, and aesthetic structures, it reconstructs the historical logic of craft technology during the imperial era. Any study involving the history of imperial crafts often succeeds or fails not in the beauty of the objects, but in its ability to discern the deeper mechanisms of craft generation under the system. As Yang Zhishui repeatedly quoted, "Although 'names and objects' seem to relate only to human daily life and be insignificant, in essence, over the long course of history, they silently but concretely explain human lifestyles, carrying numerous meanings of cultural history, spiritual history, and institutional history." "A Study of Exemplary Inheritance of Qing Dynasty Imperial Crafts" unfolds its structure based on this academic orientation. Its value lies not in simply supplementing descriptions of six categories of crafts, but in presenting the internal logic and external tensions of the Qing imperial production system through systematic analysis of archival chains, workshop systems, material networks, and technical styles. The book's most prominent achievement is its comprehensive system. The first part, "General Introduction," focuses on the Qing Dynasty Imperial Household Department's Workshops (Zaobanchu), establishing an institutional historical framework for the production of imperial crafts. It moves beyond the traditional craft history narrative limited to object styles and decorative patterns, instead inquiring into the specific composition of institutional foundations, spatial layouts, and participating groups.

Extending the historical scope, the Zaobanchu, from an institutional historical perspective, is broken down into five long takes, from its initial establishment during the Kangxi reign to its decline in the late Qing. The author focuses on the "city—garden" dual-track: how workshops in the Forbidden City and Yuanmingyuan coexisted and complemented each other. This spatial arrangement not only echoed the court's seasonal rhythm of life but also mirrored the two-part division of the political center, allowing for geographical flexibility in craft production. The author further reminds us that the Zaobanchu played a dual role as both "family" and "state": managing daily necessities for the imperial family while also producing ritual vessels, weaponry, and diplomatic gifts, thereby embedding imperial craftsmanship into the dynastic symbolic system.

In terms of the main research, the book's observations are meticulous. Combining quantitative statistics with case studies, the author points out that artisans came from diverse backgrounds, including Manchu bannermen, southern artisans, Western artisans, and minority artisans, and reveals their identity recognition and craft practices within the imperial system. The systematic textual research on the treatment, promotion paths, and living conditions of "southern artisans" completes the "human" dimension of the imperial craft ecosystem, compensating for the previous research's neglect of "people over objects."

This book proposes a craft inheritance ecosystem of "emperor—officials—artisans" interacting in three ways: the emperor as the chief designer and aesthetic arbiter, officials coordinating, and artisans transforming blueprints into physical objects. Through specific mediums like "samples" and "drafts," these three parties repeatedly consult within institutional channels, thus forming the unique generative path of Qing imperial crafts. The upper part of the book, which distinguishes between several levels of the Zaobanchu, is particularly crucial. It does not treat the Zaobanchu as a singular administrative body but examines it at the intersection of Qing imperial finance, the system of personal servitude, and craft management. As Peng Shengfang stated: "The exploration, collection, and integration of craftsmanship in object design under imperial guidance was both an appropriation and transformation of knowledge, and a clearing and consolidation of the power entangled within that knowledge." This emphasizes that craft production was not merely technical labor but a political act closely linked to the operational rhythm of imperial power. The book thus liberates craft forms from the linear narrative of aesthetic history, making them an entry point for understanding the Qing imperial system.

II. Methodological Significance: A History of Living Inheritance through Documentary and Fieldwork Evidence

In terms of research methodology, this book constructs a "archives—artifacts—fieldwork" triple-evidence system, demonstrating a high degree of academic rigor and innovation. The author uses "Comprehensive Archives of the Zaobanchu," "Records of Daily Activities (Huoji Dang)," and "Regulations (Zeli)" as core documents, combined with artifacts from the Palace Museum collection and oral accounts from modern inheritors, to form a chain of mutually corroborating materials. The research paradigm shifts from "historical crafts" to "living heritage." This research path, "from archives to craftsmanship, from craftsmanship to producers," reflects that "practice is the systematic arrangement of humans with artifacts, objects/entities, organisms, etc., through which these entities are interrelated, possessing both identity (i.e., their essential belonging) and meaning (i.e., their functional orientation)," emphasizing that craft activities should be viewed as institutionalized material practices rather than isolated aesthetic phenomena.

The second part takes six crafts—cloisonné enamel, lacquerware, imperial carpets, woodworking, agate, and timepieces—as case studies, building a continuous narrative thread. Each chapter systematically traces the birth, evolution, peak, and then the fluctuations in modern times and current inheritance of each craft. Taking imperial carpets as an example, the author first traces their origins back to the Yuan Dynasty, then explains how they were absorbed by the court in the Ming and Qing dynasties, using archival descriptions to confirm their pattern designs, size standards, and material sources. The narrative then details how they dispersed from the court into common society in the late Qing and early Republic periods, ultimately landing in their current status on the contemporary intangible cultural heritage list, making the complete life trajectory of this craft clear at a glance.

The research team's fieldwork infused the study with a vibrant academic weight. Members visited contemporary craft factories and intangible cultural heritage workshops, interviewing inheritors face-to-face and meticulously documenting the current operational methods of various crafts. Conversations with Li Rongkui about cloisonné and Ma Fuliang about filigree and inlay not only filled gaps in historical records after the Republic of China era but also showed the public how traditional crafts, stripped of imperial institutional protection, found their own way, relying on experience and wisdom to survive. Through this comparative perspective of ancient and modern times, the book achieves both contemporary relevance and practical significance for heritage protection.

III. Theoretical Foundations and Localized Evidence: Craft Research within the "Forbidden City Cultural Circle" Perspective

The "Forbidden City Cultural Circle" has gradually taken shape, its roots traceable to Zheng Xinmiao's proposed "Palace Studies" and the subsequent academic call for a "Greater Forbidden City." This book, with its solid case studies, adds intricate notes on the history of craftsmanship to this concept and reveals the specific mechanisms of cultural linkage within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—the core area of the "Forbidden City Cultural Circle."

The research practice of this book highly echoes the "regional integration, cultural lineage" proposed by the "Forbidden City Cultural Circle" theory. The author examines the origins and inheritance of crafts such as cloisonné, imperial carpets, and woodworking, not limiting the focus to the Forbidden City itself, but rather capturing their inherent connection to the rich craft traditions of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. The book's on-site investigation of Hebei workshops, material sources, and artisan systems further illustrates how the gestation, evolution, and refinement of imperial crafts were always rooted in the shared cultural soil of the three regions. The so-called imperial "inner court crafted styles" and local "outer craftsmanship" were not distinctly separate, but rather converged to form the unique character of Qing imperial crafts through constant exchange, continuous selection, and sustained elevation.

This book puts the academic concept of the "Forbidden City Cultural Circle" into practice, using craftsmanship as a focal point, simultaneously encompassing both material and intangible traditions. It specifically demonstrates the entire process of how the Beijing Forbidden City expanded outwards and integrated peripheral resources. The perspective of craft history fills a crucial gap in this theory and also reminds researchers: only by dismantling the complex network of central-local interaction and cultural blending layer by layer can one truly understand Forbidden City culture.

IV. Contemporary Relevance: Insights for Inheritance from Imperial Crafts to Modern Intangible Cultural Heritage

This book directly addresses the contemporary issues of cultural heritage protection and the cultivation of "craftsmanship spirit," engaging in dialogue with current cultural practices. The author traces the transmission pathways of crafts such as cloisonné enamel, lacquerware, and imperial carpets from the imperial court to the folk, pointing out how traditional crafts adapt themselves amidst crises of survival when institutional safeguards are absent.

The discussion on the agency of artisans is one of the most groundbreaking parts of its theoretical structure. Previous related research often downplayed the agency of artisans in institutional historical narratives, but this book, through extensive archival details, proves that artisans, while constrained by the system, also occupied an irreplaceable position within it due to their specialized skills. For example, in tracing the promotion paths of woodworkers, the book points out that technical knowledge such as material discernment and mastery of object proportions often became crucial for artisans to gain institutional recognition. By clearly presenting the knowledge status of artisans within the system, the book successfully brings artisans from the periphery of institutional history back to the center of institutional operation, giving craft activities a true dimension of subjectivity.

The book's systematic review of artisan treatment, promotion channels, and technical identities provides a traceable historical sample for the contemporary cultivation of "craftsmanship spirit." The Qing court attracted "southern artisans" with generous salaries and allowed them to join the banner system and receive official positions. This institutional arrangement highlights the court's emphasis on and incentives for top artisans, also serving as a reference for talent mechanisms in current intangible cultural heritage inheritance.

By tracing the evolution of crafts like imperial carpets and cloisonné in the late Qing and early Republic periods, it becomes evident that once traditional crafts lose their original institutional support, they diverge into multiple trajectories of survival. After the collapse of the imperial weaving system, carpet craftsmanship continued its lifeline through training workshops, folk workshops, and foreign trade channels, and today has been revitalized through intangible cultural heritage workshops and master studios. This process indicates that "living" not only refers to the intergenerational transmission of craftsmanship but also to its mechanism of self-adaptation to environmental changes, as Sun Facheng predicted: "The future of living intangible cultural heritage inheritance depends on the state of the inheritors; they may exist as embodied individuals, or as human-machine integrated terminals."

From a broader perspective, the way Qing imperial crafts were perpetuated provides a comparative historical sample for the "institution—craft—person" triangular relationship in contemporary intangible cultural heritage (ICH) protection. The book points out that this perpetuation was not a unidirectional imperial decree but a dynamic process of repeated refinement between the emperor, officials, and artisans, facilitated by intermediaries such as "samples" and "drafts." This interactive framework reminds us that if ICH protection remains solely at the level of documenting and preserving crafts, it risks overlooking the ongoing tension between institutional context and the agency of inheritors. UNESCO, in its "Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage," pays close attention to how States Parties (and their relevant institutions) will interact with communities, groups, and individuals in the future, thereby integrating heritage protection more closely into a human rights-oriented core framework. ICH protection must respect the agency of communities, groups, and individuals and ensure their central role in inheritance. This book, with its solid case studies, contributes historically grounded annotations with local explanatory power to this principle.

"A Study of Exemplary Inheritance of Qing Dynasty Imperial Crafts" puts "contemporary relevance" into practice: it first allows historical research to engage in dialogue with the present, and then, through the reshaping of artisan subjectivity, the mutual feedback between institutions and crafts, and the systematic review of craft continuation paths, it provides a theoretical reference for today's ICH protection and the cultivation of "craftsmanship spirit" that is both historically deep and actionable. In an era where ICH is increasingly institutionalized, to prevent crafts from becoming mere specimens in a display case, their inherent vitality must be awakened. The Qing dynasty experiences distilled in this book still hold academic weight and practical insights for this endeavor.

V. Areas for Deepening and Academic Outlook

While this systematic work has achieved significant results, several issues remain that could be further explored in subsequent research, offering possibilities for deeper investigation in related areas.

Firstly, the use of visual narratives still has room for expansion in research methodology. Craft studies are inseparable from visual presentation. Existing literature already provides detailed textual descriptions of craft steps and artifact forms. If systematic inclusion of craft process diagrams, tool structure schematics, and detailed material close-ups could be added in a reprint, the intuitiveness and persuasiveness of the arguments would be enhanced, also facilitating a further convergence of craft history and visual history.

Secondly, while academic circles have extensively documented artisan management systems, they have yet to systematically compare family inheritance, apprenticeship, and standardized imperial training within a single framework to analyze their differences in technology transfer, power structures, and knowledge control. Clarifying these typological features would not only refine the classification of inheritance but also provide traceable historical coordinates for contemporary intangible cultural heritage protection.

Furthermore, although the book touches upon cross-cultural crafts like enamel and timepieces in its case studies, a comparative analysis of the Qing imperial workshops with contemporary European and Islamic court workshops from a global historical perspective, examining their similarities and differences in technological flow, stylistic interaction, and institutional responses, could potentially break through art history narratives confined to nation-states, thereby truly integrating Qing dynasty craft history into the discourse of global material civilization.

Of particular note, the gender dimension remains relatively weak in the current discourse. In Qing dynasty imperial weaving, embroidery, costumes, and some jewelry production, the actual involvement and craft contributions of empresses, female officials, and palace women have not been fully explored. Introducing a gender perspective to systematically examine the roles, power, and creative practices of Qing palace women within the craft network would not only complete the social landscape of craft history but also create an effective dialogue with contemporary research on women's handicrafts.

VI. Conclusion

"A Study of Exemplary Inheritance of Qing Dynasty Imperial Crafts" is a substantial monograph, solid in its historical data, clear in its structure, and flexible in its methods. It interweaves institutional history, social history, and material culture history, opening up new interpretive pathways for the study of Qing imperial crafts. The author meticulously details the daily operations of the Zaobanchu, the artisan networks, and the interplay of imperial will, and through the twin threads of the "Forbidden City Cultural Circle" and "living inheritance," extends the history of craftsmanship, originally confined to the imperial court, to a broader regional network and engages in direct dialogue with contemporary practice.

The publication of this book elevates the study of Qing imperial crafts from scattered textual research to systematic construction. It not only continues the Palace Museum's century-long academic tradition but also provides historical coordinates and theoretical pillars for contemporary craft revival and intangible cultural heritage protection. Its release during the Palace Museum's centennial anniversary particularly highlights its academic weight and contemporary relevance.

(The author is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the College of Literature, Nankai University)