Portrayals of Women in Early Twentieth-Century China explores the role played by woman, and their visual representations, in introducing modern design and modern ways of living to China. It investigates this through an analysis of how women and modern design were represented in the advertisements, photographs, and films of Republican-era China. This study explores the intersection of modernity and the Chinese woman, as they negotiated their changing identities through, and with, new designs that proliferated in Chinese households in the first half of the twentieth century. The advertisements, mass media, photographs and films took on the function of social conditioning, conveying to the viewers ideas of modern social standards, behavior and appearances. With women both instrumentalised within these images, and addressed through them, their visual representations became metaphors that fashioned a new portrait of China, while concurrently impacting on the identity, agency and subjectivity of women themselves.
- Cover
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Traditional Material Culture and Lifestyles in the Age of Modernity
- 3 Femininity and Social Changes as Seen through Meiren Hua and Advertising Posters
- 4 The Idealized Woman and the Tasteful Consumer
- 5 Female Subjectivity
- 6 Epilogue
- Bibliography per Chapter
- Bibliography
- Index
- List of Illustrations
- Figure 1: Domestic scene-conversation between host and guest in a Chinese export painting album (c.1801-1850). Copyright © The Trustees of the British Museum
- Figure 2: Front of the great temple (Ma Kok Temple) of Macao painted by Auguste Borget (1842). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 3: Portraits of members of a Manchu family (1644–1911). Credit Line: Anonymous Gift, 1952 (Public Domain)
- Figure 4: Porcelain vase painted in overglaze polychrome enamels in Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Credit Line: Purchase by subscription, 1879 (Public Domain)
- Figure 5: The bed chamber painted in the 19th Century. Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 6: 18th century table-top dressing chest. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 7: 17th century side table. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 8: A woman with flowers, in a Chinese export painting album (c.1801-1850). Copyright © The Trustees of the British Museum
- Figure 9: Low scroll table from early 18th century. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 10: A woman dancing, from a Chinese export painting album (c.1801-1850). Copyright © The Trustees of the British Museum
- Figure 11: A pair of lounge chair with retractable footrest from 19th century. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 12: 20th century lounge chair. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 13: Low table with vases painted in the 19th century. The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967. (Public Domain)
- Figure 14: Faces of China-A cycle of a mandarin’s life, from an album of 84 drawings drew by Kwan Luen-cheung (1850s). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 15: Wash basin stand. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 16: 17th century Luohan bed. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 17: Chinese family painted in Qing dynasty (18th century). Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 18: A Chinese Family Playing Cards (c.1840s). Copyright © HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC Archives) 2023
- Figure 20: A pair of 17th century stools. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 19: 18th century square table. Copyright © Liang Yi Museum, Hong Kong. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 21: Living room in western style. Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 22: Watch maker painted in about 1825. Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 23: Living room in Chinese style. Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 24: A Street Outside a Temple (c.1830s). Copyright © HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC Archives) 2023
- Figure 25: Old China Street, Canton (c.1839). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 26: China Street with Part of the Foreign Factories in Guangzhou (19th Century). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 27: Porcelain shop, Canton (c.1825). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 28: Cake shop, Canton (c.1825). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 29: Cake seller (Late 19th Century). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 30: Lady Seated on a Bamboo Chair, by Zheng Kunyu (18th/19th century). Courtesy of Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada. ©ROM
- Figure 31: Chinese Lady Embroidering (1644–1911). Courtesy of Nelson-Atkins Media Services.
- Figure 32: Woman Resting from Reading (18th Century). Copyright © The Trustees of the British Museum
- Figure 33: Lady Writing a Letter (18th century). Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 34: Faces of China-Ladies at various occupations (c.1855) drew by Kwan Luen-cheung. Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 36: Ladies Reading in the West Wing (Mid 19th Century). Copyright © Hong Kong Museum of Art Collection. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 35: Lady Reading a Book (1721) by Leng Mei. Courtesy of Eskenazi Limited. Permission granted by organisation.
- Figure 37: Advertisement for Central Automobile Company in Shun Pao newspaper (1924). Shun Pao newspaper 1924.4.20 (Public Domain).
- Figure 38: Calendar Poster for Fengtian Sino-Russian Tobacco Co. (1910s-1920s). Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 39: Poster for Gande Price & Co., LTD. (1933) By Kwan Cho-mou. Copyright © Collection of Hong Kong Heritage Museum
- Figure 40: French advertising poster promoting Rosinette absinthe, printed by Camis (c. 1900). (Public Domain)
- Figure 41: Calendar Poster for Shanghai Fire & Marine Insurance Co. (1925) by Hang Zhiying/Zhiying Studio Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 42: Calendar Poster for Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Co. by Zhou Baisheng. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 43: Calendar Poster for Shanghai Sanyou Co. (1910s-1920s) by Zheng Mantuo. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 44: Calendar Poster for Arnhold & Co. (1924). Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 45: Poster of the Bakilly Co., Ltd. (1920 – 1939) by Kwan Wai-nung. Copyright © The Collection of Hong Kong Heritage Museum
- Figure 46: Calendar Poster for Wuzhou Pharmacy (1920-1930s) by Hang Zhiying/Zhiying Studio. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 47: Calendar Poster for Yuan Yuan Hat Co. by Zheng Mantuo. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 49: Calendar Poster: Lady with Pink Scarf (1930s) by Hang Zhiying / Zhiying studio. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 48: Calendar Poster for Shanghai Huiming Electric Light and Battery Factory (1920-1930s) by Hang Zhiying / Zhiying studio. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 50: Calendar Poster for Fengtian Sino-Russian Tobacco Co. (1920-1930s) by Hang Zhiying / Zhiying studio. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 51: Woman admiring herself in the mirror, seated on a dressing table chair. Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 52: Calendar Poster for E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (1920-1930s) by Hang Zhiying / Zhiying studio. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 53: Calendar Poster for Yuehua Newspaper (1925). Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 54: Calendar Poster for Hatamen Brand Tobacco (1920-1930s) by Hang Zhiying / Zhiying studio. Copyright © Collection of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 55: Photograph of a lady wearing high-heel shoes, holding a fan (Early 20th century). Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 56: Photograph of a lady with short hair holding a book (Early 20th century). Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 58: Photograph of Italian carved oak chair (c. 1863). Copyright © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
- Figure 57: Photograph of a lady with short hair holding a book in a living room setting (Early 20th century). Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 59: Photograph of a woman with a chair (Early 20th century). Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 60: Photograph of a couple in formal outfits (Early 20th century). Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 61: Photograph of a woman looking at a mirror seated on a dressing table chair (Early 20th century). Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 62: Photograph of a woman looking at a mirror seated on a dressing table chair (Early 20th century). Copyright © The Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Permission granted by museum.
- Figure 63: Photo of Mrs. Wellington Koo (1942). Vogue © Condé Nast
- Figure 64: Photo of Mrs. Ung-yu Yen (1942). Vogue © Condé Nast
- Figure 65: Photo of Mrs. Nai-chi Chang (1942). Vogue © Condé Nast
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