Overview

A groundbreaking study of textiles as transcultural objects in the Qing court that provides a new understanding of the interconnectedness of the early modern world In the early modern period luxury textiles circulated globally as trade goods and diplomatic gifts, fostering cultural exchange between distant regions. By the eighteenth century, both China and Europe had developed a splendid tradition of silk and tapestry weaving. While the role of Chinese silk imports in Europe has been well studied, this book reconstructs the forgotten history of the eastward movement of European textiles to China and their integration into the arts and culture of the Qing Empire. The Empire's New Cloth explores how Qing court workshops adapted European textile designs and techniques and uncovers the specific uses and meanings of these textiles in imperial military ceremonies, religious spaces, and palace interiors. Through careful study of a wide range of previously unpublished objects, Mei Mei Rado illuminates how these cross-cultural textiles provided the visual and material means for the Qing ruler to convey political messages. By revealing how Qing imperial patrons and artisans responded and assigned meanings to European influences, this beautifully illustrated volume highlights the reciprocity in eighteenth-century Sino-European exchanges and centers textiles within the dynamic global flow of objects and ideas.

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9780300275148

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Reviews

“Full of innovative scholarship, The Empire’s New Cloth provides a new level of understanding about European textiles in a Qing imperial context. It will make a remarkable and crucial contribution to the field.”—John R. Finlay, author of Henri Bertin and the Representation of China in Eighteenth-Century France “The Empire’s New Cloth is a rich, original, and focused piece of research with exciting new insights for the global history of art and material culture.”—Lesley E. Miller, author of Selling Silks: A Merchant’s Sample Book 1764 “The Empire’s New Cloth significantly changes our understanding of Sino-European interactions, especially the Qing emperors’ attitudes toward the West, in the long eighteenth century.”—Yu-chih Lai, Academia Sinica

Author Information

Mei Mei Rado is assistant professor of history of textiles, dress, and decorative arts at Bard Graduate Center.

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