This exhibition features over 150 works selected from the Huaihaitang Collection, nearly half of which have been generously donated to the CUHK Art Museum for research and teaching purposes. The 18th century stands as the golden age of Chinese court art. From the late Kangxi to the early Jiaqing period, a wide range of objects was produced, including porcelain, jade, bronzes, lacquerware, textiles, scholars’ objects, books, rubbings, and calligraphy and painting. Characterized by refined materials, opulent style and meticulous craftsmanship, these works exemplify a disciplined aesthetic known as “production to imperial standards” (「內廷恭造」).
In 2005, the CUHK Art Museum, in collaboration with the First Historical Archives of China, published the Archives of the Imperial Workshops (《造辦處各作成做活計清檔》), a monumental record documenting the design, revision, production and distribution of objects under the Imperial Household Department, which has since become an indispensable scholarly reference. Based on these archives and related materials, the exhibition seeks to reconstruct the making of Qing court art and to highlight its exceptional historical value.