Hongtaiji, Emperor Taizong (1592–1643), Meditating with a Buddhist Rosary

Object Details

Sitter

Hong Taiji 皇太極 (1592-1643)

Label

Hongtaiji, who is also known as Taizong (a posthumous designation for the second ruler in a dynastic line), never sat on the imperial throne in Peking (modern-day Beijing), but he and his father were written about in Qing dynasty (1644-1911) histories as if they had been emperors. Despite Hongtaiji's historical importance, few portraits of him exist, so it is difficult to confirm the identification given in the label on this portrait. Assuming that it truly represents Hongtaiji, the portrait must have been executed long after his death, but posthumous portraits are not uncommon in China. Judging from his informal pose seated on a kang (the built-in, heated platform seen here), this portrait was never intended for ritual veneration.

This pose would seem to have held some special cultural importance. Several emperors of the Qing dynasty chose to have themselves painted in an identical manner sitting on a cushioned kang and fingering a Buddhist rosary. Perhaps viewers were intended to see the rulers, who were known for their martial skills, in a spiritual and contemplative light. Here, Hongtaiji is dressed in a summer court hat and informal robes topped by a blue surcoat with an imperial dragon roundel on the chest (the roundel is difficult to see).

Provenance

To ca.1949

Wu Laixi 吳賴熙 (d. ca.1949-1950) reportedly acquired from decedents of noble Chinese families [1]

ca.1949 to 1959

Wu Ping-Chung (dates unknown and Chinese characters for the name unknown) inherited ownership upon Wu Laixi's death around 1949 [2]

1959 to 1985

Richard G. Pritzlaff (1902-1997) by transfer of ownership from Wu Ping-Chung on June 15, 1959 [3]

1985 to 1987

H. Ross Perot (1930-2019) purchased from Richard G. Pritzlaff in 1985 [4]

1987 to 1991

Richard G. Pritzlaff purchased from H. Ross Perot in 1987 [5]

From 1991

The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery acquired through partial gift and partial purchase from Richard G. Pritzlaff in 1991 [6]

Notes:

[1] Wu Laixi 吳賴熙 (alternate romanization: Wu Lai-hsi) was an antiquities dealer who often sold high-quality, imperial goods sourced from Chinese nobles, among other sources. Active in the 1930s and 1940s, Wu Laixi purchased portraits in China, reportedly for his personal collection and for resale; he took great pride in his collection, labeling himself as the first collector of Chinese ancestor portraits.

In 1937, Wu sold portraits to the American, Richard G. Pritzlaff, who was visiting China. Pritzlaff and Wu remained in touch. In the 1940s, Wu worried about his financial security and the fate of his collection in China, where war with Japan and domestic turmoil threatened the security of private art collections. Wu wrote to Pritzlaff, asking if he could send portraits in exchange for money to survive. Between 1940 and 1948, Wu sent three shipments of portraits and other art objects to Pritzlaff's ranch in New Mexico. Wu intended for Pritzlaff to sell the majority of the art objects he sent, however, Pritzlaff did not want to disperse the collection, so he sent as much money as he could to Wu and retained the art. Pritzlaff reported that he "thought of himself as the owner of some paintings but wanted to be only a temporary custodian of others" and intended for Wu to one day collect the entire collection. It remains unclear which portraits Pritzlaff believed he owned. See letters from Wu Laixi to Pritzlaff, September 4, 1940; June 27, 1941; June 17, 1947; and August 6, 1948, copies in accession file.

[2] See note 1. Upon Wu's death, Pritzlaff contacted Wu's son, Wu Ping-Chung who lived in Taiwan; he declined to claim the collection but retained ownership rights until he transferred them to Pritzlaff in 1959. See the letter from Wu Ping-Chung addressed "To Whom it May Concern," June 15, 1959, witnessed by Major Thurman W. Oliver of the United States Army, copy in accession file. In the letter Wu declares, "I .... Hereby transfer, for remunerations received, my interest and rights inherited from my father, Mr. Wu Lai-hsi, deceased, in his collection of paintings, to Mr. Richard Pritzlaff of Sapello, New Mexico, U.S.A."

[3] See note 2. Richard G. Pritzlaff was a collector of Chinese art and a rancher who initially raised cattle but then became a well-known breeder of

Arabian horses. When studying landscape architecture at University of California at Berkeley and then at Harvard, he developed an interest in China. He traveled there in 1937 and began collecting Chinese objects. For Pritzlaff's account of how he acquired his collection, see letter addressed "Dear Sir" from Pritzlaff, October12, 1988, copy in accession file.

[4] H. Ross Perot was an American business magnate, billionaire, philanthropist and politician. He ran for president in 1992 and 1996, establishing the Reform Party. In 1985, Perot visited Pritzlaff's ranch to inspect his Arabian horses. After the visit, Perot unexpectedly approached Pritzlaff, proposing to purchase the collection of Chinese ancestor portraits and construct a museum in Texas to house them. In 1987, when it became clear that Perot had decided

not to construct the museum, Pritzlaff bought back the collection. For specifics of this transaction, see letter from H. Ross Perot's daughter, Nancy P. Mulford to James Cahill, December 26, 1986 and September 11, 1987, copies in accession file. James Cahill (1926-2014), curator at Freer Gallery of Art from 1958--1965 and then faculty at University of California at Berkley, evaluated the collection when owned by Perot. For an account of Cahill's experiences, see http://jamescahill.info/the-writings-of-james-cahill/responses-a-reminiscences/167-45-my-day-with-ross-perotw.

[5] See note 4.

[6] For the deed of gift and purchase arrangement, see accession file.

Collection

National Museum of Asian Art Collection

Exhibition History

Family Matters: Portraits from the Qing Court (June 11, 2011 to January 16, 2012)

Worshipping the Ancestors: Chinese Commemorative Portraits (June 17 to September 9, 2001)

The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

Previous custodian or owner

Richard G. Pritzlaff (1902-1997)

H. Ross Perot (1930-2019)

Wu Ping-Chung

Wu Laixi 吳賴熙 (died ca. 1950)

Credit Line

Purchase — Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program and partial gift of Richard G. Pritzlaff

18th-19th century

Period

Qing dynasty

Accession Number

S1991.63

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

Ink and color on silk

Dimensions

H x W (painting): 165.2 x 97.1 cm (65 1/16 x 38 1/4 in)

H x W (overall): 281 x 124 cm (110 5/8 x 48 13/16 in)

Origin

China

Related Online Resources

Google Cultural Institute

See more items in

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic

portrait

Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911)

China

Chinese Art

Pritzlaff collection

Record ID

fsg_S1991.63

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3221b7850-47c8-47e2-9d5f-e8437994e7b5