庚辛年间西安与慈禧的银器供应

Silverware Supply for the Empress Dowager Cixi in Xi'an in the Years of 1900—1901

庚子年间,八国联军侵华,慈禧太后逃亡西安。稳定下来之后,慈禧太后的生活又趋于奢侈,以宫中用度为标准。在此情况之下,各省为其制办了大量的御用器物,其中即有西安地方制作的一些银器。在举国空前危机之时,慈禧太后尚且不惜耗费巨资维持奢侈的用度。当然,这与慈禧的奢侈生活态度有关,但仓皇出逃,御用物品极度匮乏是其直接动因,而皇家礼仪制度的需要则是其根本原因,这是攸关国体的大事。

In 1900,the allied forces invaded China,the Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi＇an. After her settling down,Empress Dowager Cixi began to live a luxurious life once again as she did in the court. As a result,the local governments supplied a considerable number of imperial artifacts for them,some of them were made in Xian. Facing an unprecedented crisis throughout the country,the Empress Dowager Cixi had spent a lot of money and maintained her luxurious life. Of course,the proximate cause was Cixi＇s life attitude,but the direct reason was the extreme shortage of the imperial wares due to her hurried escape,and the fundamental reason was the request of the royal etiquette system. All in all,this concerned was threatening the state system a lot.