Antique Chinese Famille Rose Empress Cixi “Dayazhai” Lamp - Republic Period

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This is a stunning Republic period porcelain table lamp decorated in the highly revered Dayazhai (Da Ya Zhai, “Studio of … Read more This is a stunning Republic period porcelain table lamp decorated in the highly revered Dayazhai (Da Ya Zhai, “Studio of the Greater Odes”) style, a design vocabulary originally created for the Qing court and intimately associated with the Empress Dowager Cixi. The porcelain body is enamelled on a luminous turquoise ground and finely painted with scrolling wisteria vines, flowering blossoms, and a bird perched among the branches—a hallmark Dayazhai motif symbolizing renewal, harmony, and enduring prosperity.

Dayazhai porcelain originated as imperial ware commissioned for the personal use of Empress Dowager Cixi during the late Tongzhi and early Guangxu periods. These wares bore special hall and auspicious marks—Dayazhai, Tiandi Yijia Chun (“The whole world celebrating as one family”), and Yongqing Changchun (“Eternal prosperity and enduring spring”). While not reign marks in the formal sense, they functioned as Cixi’s own imperial identifiers, reflecting her authority and taste.

The wisteria-and-rose pattern on a turquoise ground is one of the most celebrated Dayazhai designs and is thought to represent Spring or, more broadly, all seasons. Original Qing examples were produced in extremely limited numbers—likely fewer than 100 pieces in total across all seasonal services—and today are almost entirely confined to major museum and distinguished private collections.

During the Guangxu and Republic periods, the Dayazhai designs were copied and adapted as a form of homage to imperial taste. Republic period examples are often distinguished by subtle stylistic differences, including mirror-image compositions and variations in ground color, while remaining faithful to the essential iconography. These pieces are historically important in their own right, reflecting early 20th-century reverence for Qing court aesthetics during a period of political and cultural transformation.

A sophisticated Republic period interpretation of a Qing imperial classic, this Dayazhai-style lamp offers collectors a visually striking and historically resonant object rooted in one of the most exclusive porcelain traditions of the Chinese court.

NOTE: Lampshade shown for display purposes only, not included. See less