From Palace to Museum: The Journey of Nüshi Zhen Tu

Today, we’ll talk about the Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies, a story that traces its journey from an imperial harem teaching tool to a priceless cultural treasure, surviving looting, political turmoil, and time, ultimately finding its place in the British Museum where it continues to captivate global audiences.

Transcript

From Palace to Museum: The Journey of Nüshi Zhen Tu

Today, we’ll talk about the Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies, a story that traces its journey from an imperial harem teaching tool to a priceless cultural treasure, surviving looting, political turmoil, and time, ultimately finding its place in the British Museum where it continues to captivate global audiences.

In the history of Chinese painting, perhaps no work is as legendary and captivating as Nüshi Zhen Tu, or the Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies. It seems there are countless stories surrounding this painting.

Nüshi Zhen Tu exists in two different versions, each housed in museums located thousands of miles apart. One is in the British Museum, the oldest and largest museum in the world with the most extensive collection, while the other is in the Palace Museum in Beijing, China. The version in the British Museum is one of the most treasured pieces among the museum’s many Eastern artifacts, often referred to as a “national treasure.” The version in the Palace Museum, although later in date than the British Museum’s, is also one of the most significant pieces in the museum’s collection of hundreds of thousands of ancient books and paintings.

It is not uncommon for an ancient painting to exist in multiple versions, but it is unprecedented for both versions to be considered “national treasures,” housed in the world’s top museums. The Nüshi Zhen Tu in the British Museum is exhibited only for a few weeks each year, and the version in the Palace Museum in Beijing is rarely displayed, only appearing on rare occasions. Fortunately, at the end of 2024, it will be on display again in the fourth exhibition of character paintings from the museum’s collection at the Wenhua Hall in the Forbidden City, giving book and art enthusiasts another opportunity to appreciate this masterpiece.

A painting of such prestigious honor must surely be an authentic masterpiece, right? Actually, that’s not the case. In fact, neither of the two versions is an original. The version in the British Museum is a copy from the Tang Dynasty, while the one in the Palace Museum in Beijing is a Song Dynasty copy. The original work was lost to the sands of time long ago. In fact, none of the original paintings by the artist Gu Kaizhi have survived. It is only through the efforts of later generations who revered his work and made copies that we are able to catch a glimpse of some of his artistic essence. This further proves Gu Kaizhi’s unrivaled status in the history of Chinese ancient painting.

Gu Kaizhi was from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which existed from 317 to 420, and he was not the only famous painter of his time. Other renowned artists, such as Cao Buxing, Lu Tanwei, and Zhang Sengyao, were also his contemporaries. They were equally famous, and yet, like Gu Kaizhi’s works, their paintings were also lost to history, with none surviving for later generations to enjoy. This is undeniably a regrettable occurrence in the history of Chinese painting; however, unlike the complete disappearance of the works of his peers, several copies of Gu Kaizhi’s paintings have been passed down, including The Nymph of the Luo River and The Portraits of Worthy Women (also known as The Portraits of Women of Benevolence and Wisdom). Among these, the two copies of Nüshi Zhen Tu mentioned earlier are the oldest and most skillfully executed, not to mention the most valuable in artistic terms. The version in the British Museum, in particular, is the only one identified as a Tang Dynasty copy, making it incredibly rare and one of the earliest surviving works in the history of Chinese painting.

Not only does this painting have historical significance due to its age and the fame of its original creator, but the content of Nüshi Zhen Tu also carries substantial weight. It holds deep political meaning and was specifically created for the royal court. Its purpose was to admonish the women of the imperial harem, encouraging them to uphold female virtues, thus benefiting the state and educating future generations. This is why Nüshi Zhen Tu has been valued, collected, and copied by royal families throughout history. It can be said that from the moment it was first created, Nüshi Zhen Tu was regarded as a “national treasure” and a “textbook for the imperial harem.”

The text version of Nüshi Zhen Tu comes from Nüshi Zhen, The Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies, written by Zhang Hua, a prominent statesman of the Western Jin Dynasty, which existed from 265 to 316. Zhang Hua was a well-known figure of his time, renowned for his eloquence, ability, and boldness in offering frank advice. Unfortunately, he lived during the reign of one of the most infamous emperors in Chinese history – Emperor Hui of Jin, also known for his famous “Why not eat porridge?” remark and his domineering empress, Jia Nanfeng.

Zhang Hua, though a high-ranking official, was a loyal minister to Empress Jia, who promoted him to power. Despite holding a prestigious position, Zhang did not flatter Empress Jia, but instead tried to admonish her to observe her role as a woman and to refrain from interfering in state affairs. However, Empress Jia paid no heed to his advice, and her mismanagement ultimately led to the infamous Eight Princes’ Rebellion, which resulted in the downfall of the Western Jin Dynasty. Jia Nanfeng was killed, and Zhang Hua met a tragic end as well.

Gu Kaizhi lived more than a century later, during the Eastern Jin dynasty. Despite the passage of time, the corruption of the imperial court was no less severe. Like many scholars of his time, Gu Kaizhi found himself in the service of local warlords, struggling to survive under a regime of constant political instability. The emperor during Gu’s era was Sima Yao, the only ruler of the Eastern Jin to hold real power. 

Under his reign, the Eastern Jin won the famous Battle of Feishui, but after assuming control, Sima Yao indulged in pleasure, particularly drinking, leading to numerous scandals in the palace. His consorts, and even the empress herself, were fond of wine, with the empress dying young from excessive drinking. After her death, the emperor continued his drinking habits, even elevating a palace maid named Zhang to the rank of a noble consort. One fateful evening, after another drunken revelry, Emperor Sima Yao jokingly teased Zhang, but the joke went too far and angered her. In retaliation, Zhang suffocated the emperor with a quilt.

Gu Kaizhi’s painting Nüshi Zhen Tu was created to admonish the women of the imperial harem and to promote the virtues expected of them. While this may seem somewhat old-fashioned today, in such a peculiar era, the educational purpose of the work was certainly necessary. The original piece likely had 12 sections, but the Tang Dynasty copy in the British Museum retains only 9, while the Song Dynasty copy in the Palace Museum has 11. Among these sections, some are based on real historical events, and due to time constraints, we’ll focus on the two most famous stories: “Feng Yuan Facing the Bear” and “Ban Jieyu Rejects the Imperial Palanquin.”

“Feng Yuan Facing the Bear” tells the story of an incident during the Western Han Dynasty when Emperor Yuan of Han took his concubines to visit the royal zoo. A black bear suddenly broke free from its cage and charged towards the emperor. While the other concubines fled, only Feng Jieyu stood her ground, stepping in front of the bear to protect the emperor. Two guards arrived just in time to prevent a potentially disastrous situation.

“Ban Jieyu Rejects the Imperial Palanquin” recounts an episode during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, who was traveling with his concubines. All the other concubines saw this as a great privilege, but Ban Jieyu refused to ride in the same palanquin as the emperor. She admonished him, saying that wise rulers in ancient times would travel with virtuous ministers to discuss state affairs, while only tyrants like Emperor Xia of the Xia Dynasty, Emperor Zhou of the Shang Dynasty, and King Nan of Zhou would indulge in pleasures with their concubines. Ban Jieyu firmly rejected the emperor’s offer, but despite her noble stance, Emperor Cheng’s nature remained unchanged. He eventually took the sisters Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede into his harem, making Zhao Feiyan his empress. The tragic end of Ban Jieyu’s story is tale for another time.

In these two stories, the moment when the black bear charges towards Emperor Yuan of Han in “Feng Yuan Facing the Bear” is a life-or-death instant, and the reactions of the characters are vividly portrayed, each with their unique expression and stance. In “Ban Jieyu Rejects the Imperial Palanquin,” Ban Jieyu is shown only from behind, her flowing robes symbolizing her noble character. Even from this rear view, the viewer can feel her righteous demeanor. The skill of the artist is evident, and despite both versions being copies, they still allow modern viewers to appreciate the remarkable artistry of Gu Kaizhi.

Now, you may be wondering, why are there two copies of this painting kept in royal palaces? Can they be considered “forgeries”?

They probably shouldn’t be considered forgeries. Today, forgeries and counterfeits are created with the goal of making money, but this was not the case in ancient times. The original purpose of Nüshi Zhen Tu was to serve as an educational text for teaching the women of the imperial harem about female virtue. It was meant to be viewed and studied frequently, even systematically. In response to wear and tear on the original, copies were made, and only the most famous court painters of each dynasty were deemed qualified to create these reproductions.

But why do the Song Dynasty and Tang Dynasty copies differ?

By the time history moved into the Southern Song Dynasty, and after the peace agreement between the Song and Jin dynasties, the Southern Song experienced a period of relative stability and cultural prosperity. The Jin Empire, after looting numerous treasures from the Northern Song court, also saw a significant rise in their cultural and artistic appreciation. For certain important works of art, the Jin would request copies from the Southern Song, and the Song court had no choice but to comply. However, before sending those works, the court would have the painters from the imperial painting academy create copies to be kept in the palace.

The Song Dynasty version of Nüshi Zhen Tu clearly shows the stylistic characteristics of the Southern Song court style. It is likely that the Southern Song artists did not simply replicate the Tang version’s composition and technique but instead added their own brushwork and style, giving the piece the distinct signature of its era.

The story of Nüshi Zhen Tu continues through the Qing Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, who had a deep appreciation for cultural artifacts, including calligraphy and paintings, both the Tang and Song copies of Nüshi Zhen Tu were collected by the imperial court. Empress Dowager Cixi, although not highly educated, followed Emperor Qianlong’s lead in her passion for art and culture. In her later years, she took the Tang copy of Nüshi Zhen Tu with her to the Summer Palace.

In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, Empress Dowager Cixi fled Beijing in a hurry, without even enough provisions. And while the Eight-Nation Alliance did not ransack the Forbidden City, they did loot the Summer Palace, taking the most valuable of its treasures, including the Tang copy of Nüshi Zhen Tu. The painting ended up in the hands of a British Army captain who, two years later, sold the priceless treasure to the British Museum for 25 pounds.

The story doesn’t end there, however. The Tang copy of Nüshi Zhen Tu had a chance to “return home” but that opportunity was tragically missed. During World War II, China sent an expeditionary force to Myanmar, where they successfully aided the British army in defeating tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers. After the war, the British government, grateful for China’s assistance, offered either the return of Nüshi Zhen Tu or the gift of two submarines to China as a gesture of thanks. However, due to the ongoing civil war and political turmoil, the Nationalist government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, chose the submarines instead. But the submarines never made it to China because the Nationalist navy mutinied and formed the People’s Liberation Army Navy. As a result, the two submarines were never delivered, and the Nüshi Zhen Tu Tang copy remains in the British Museum to this day.

Over half a century later, in 2017, the British Museum conducted a new restoration of the Tang copy of Nüshi Zhen Tu. Following the restoration, the painting is now exhibited for six weeks every summer, a much longer period than the typical one-month limit enforced by the Palace Museum in Beijing, which usually requires a three-year interval between exhibitions of the same ancient artwork. This extended exhibition period allows this precious masterpiece of ancient Chinese art to be showcased more frequently, giving people from around the world greater opportunities to appreciate its unique charm and elegance.

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Song Yimin, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.