乾隆皇帝「萬壽無疆碗」研究

Abstract

本文以清宮「萬壽無疆紋」作為文字裝飾的出現為基礎，探討其如何在乾隆朝的歷史背景下成為有效且傳遞真實的萬壽節器物。 本文首先重新定位清代萬壽節的位置，指出其並非只是穩定延續的傳統，而是參雜了清代對物質的理解所形構而成。因而「萬壽無疆」這一具有特定意義的指稱與符號，便透過物質化的呈現傳遞了特定的政治與文化脈絡。其次，本文重新檢視康熙朝作品與乾隆朝「萬壽無疆碗」之間的承繼關係，指出過往被視為原型的五彩盤未必足以充分說明「萬壽無疆紋」的出現。相較之下，康熙朝「百壽紋」對異體字的重視與視覺上的運用，更能說明文字裝飾作為政治資源與視覺形式的發展。再者，透過雍正朝造辦處「吉言活計」及清宮祥瑞論述的考察，本文指出吉言並非只是單純的吉祥語彙，而與宮廷對祥瑞真實性的追求，以及透過圖像、器物與生產製作等，將祥瑞具體化的機制節節相關。最後，本文回到乾隆朝「萬壽無疆碗」，說明其如何承接康熙以降清宮對漢字文化的應用，並結合雍正朝對真實性的物質化需求，透過此形式，將萬壽的祝願轉化為具體可感、可辨識且具有政治合法性的物件。 本文認為，「萬壽無疆碗」的形式並非單純由吉祥寓意或節日功能所決定，而是多重條件共同作用的結果。萬壽的祝願藉由「萬壽無疆紋」的表達，暗示了從對皇帝個體肉身存續的指涉，轉向對帝國統治結構長存的表述。進而使祝願的對象，從原本有限的身體，轉化為成了沒有邊界的權力，並透過文字與物質形式，成為可被感知與操作的現實。

Taking the emergence of the “Wan shou wu jiang” (“Boundless Longevity”) motif as a form of textual ornament in the Qing imperial court as its point of departure, this thesis examines how the motif became an effective material form for imperial birthday celebrations during the Qianlong reign, while conveying particular notions of reality and political legitimacy. The thesis first reconsiders imperial birthday celebrations in the Qing dynasty, arguing that they were not simply the continuation of an established tradition, but were shaped by Qing understandings of materiality, auspiciousness, and political practice. It then reexamines the relationship between Kangxi-period works and the “Wan shou wu jiang” bowls of the Qianlong reign. Rather than the famille-verte dish traditionally regarded as their prototype, the Kangxi-period “Hundred Longevity” (bai shou) motif, with its visual deployment of variant forms of the character shou (longevity), provides a more productive basis for understanding the development of textual ornament as both a visual form and a political resource. Through an examination of the “auspicious-word objects” (ji yan huo ji) recorded in the Imperial Workshops archives of the Yongzheng reign and Qing court discourse on auspicious omens, the thesis further demonstrates how auspiciousness became connected to the production of material evidence and the pursuit of verifiable reality. The Qianlong-period “Wan shou wu jiang” bowl consequently brought together these earlier developments, transforming the wish for longevity into a tangible, recognizable, and politically legitimate object. This thesis argues that the form of the “Wan shou wu jiang” bowl cannot be explained simply by its auspicious meaning or ceremonial function. Rather, it emerged through the interaction of textual culture, visual traditions, concepts of auspiciousness, and material production. Through the “Wan shou wu jiang” motif, the wish for longevity shifted from a reference to the physical survival of the emperor toward the enduring continuity of the imperial political structure. The finite body was thus transformed into a form of power without boundaries, which, through textual and material form, became a reality that could be perceived, recognized, and enacted.