故宮博物院線上策展人(入選)清宮美甲術:指甲套的階級美感~策展人梁庭嘉 National Palace Museum Online Curator Project (Selected): China Qing Dynasty Royal Nail Art: Aristocratic Aesthetics of Fingernail Guards ~ Curator: Tingjia Liang.
In addition to function, decoration, Fingernail Guards were aristocratic and implied that the wearers were no need to work. It was a message that ordinary jewelry couldn't accurately communicate. Fingernail Guard protected not only nails but aristocracy; it showed off not only craftsmanship but wearers’ status. However, the significance of Empress Dowager Cixi's wearing fingernail guards surpassed ordinary nobles. It was not merely for protecting nails, decoration, and showing off, it also had an emotional connection with her highest political power.
2020 國立故宮博物院(台北故宮)線上策展人計畫～入選 Welcome to the curation webpage @ National Palace Museum Online Curator Project (Selected) https://theme.npm.edu.tw/curation/preview_public/?id=112
*English subtitles are available. (Touch "cc" to get it.) *The whole English subtitles are as following up, you may use Google Translate to read in any language you need. Thanks a lot.
然後重新戴上指甲套，每天早晚浸泡指甲一如既往。回鑾後的慈禧又是坐鎮紫禁城的皇太后了，保護指甲與保住皇位是每天必做的事。 Subtitles: Qing Dynasty Royal Nail Art: Aristocratic Aesthetic of Fingernail Guards. Ancient Chinese used to keep nails long and it was even more popular in the Qing Dynasty. To protect long fingernails, Qing dynasty people took the ancient zither plectrum as the prototype, extended the shape into an arch tube and add decoration, finally transformed to be Qing Dynasty jewelry. In addition to function and decoration, fingernail Guards were aristocratic.
[Golden Fingernail Guards: Discovered at Ancient Tombs of Han Dynasty (202 BC~220 AD) in Jilin province, China] [Ancient zither plectrum transformed to be Qing Dynasty jewelry] [Hint Message: Wearers were no need to work] [Fingernail Guards protected not only fingernails but aristocracy.] [They showed off not only craftsmanship but wearers’ identity.] [Royal nail art team: Western country tribute nail art kits / Camellia essence distillation tool/ Royal handmade skin care products and cosmetics] [Nail Art Empress Dowager CIXI.]
According to the memories of the female officer De Ling and the court maid He Ronger, CIXI particularly concerned about maintaining anti-aging. Obsession with beauties of face, skin and even her fingernails. Female officers and court maids washed and maintained CIXI’s fingernails every morning and evening. However, Empress Dowager CIXI was other than ordinary nobles. Wearing Fingernail Guards was not only for protecting nails, decoration and showing off class, it also has an emotional connection with highest political power.
[CIXI Nail Art SOP: {Night} soak, trim, brush, polish, wipe, wear. {Daytime} soak, wipe, pat, soak, wear] [CIXI’s Complex of long fingernails.] [Resolutely cutting off long fingernails before fleeing from Forbidden City in The Boxer Incident,1900] [Restart keeping fingernails grow after returning to the Forbidden City in January,1902] [Resolutely cutting off long fingernails before fleeing from Forbidden City in The Boxer Incident,1900] [Restart keeping fingernails grow after returning to the Forbidden City in January,1902]
Then put on the Fingernail Guards again, and soaked fingernails every morning and night as before. Cixi was the Empress Dowager of the Forbidden City again. Maintaining fingernails and protecting the throne were two important must-do every day.
*文獻參考 References & Sources: .《雍親王題書堂深居圖屏》 .《玫貴妃春貴人行樂圖》 .《御香縹緲錄》Imperial Incense , 德齡, 1933 .《清宮二年記》(1949）; Two Years in the Forbidden City(1911) , 德齡 .《宮女談往錄》金易/沈義翎 , 1988 .《美國女畫師的清宮回憶》(2009) ; With the Empress Dowager Of China (1905)by Katharine Carl. . 慈禧 Empress Dowager CIXI (1835-1908) . 女官 Female officer 裕德齡 (1885-1944) . 宮女 Court maid 何容兒（? -1950s) . 慈禧畫像 CIXI Painting by Katharine Carl (1865-1938) , 1904-1905 . 慈禧畫像 CIXI Painting by Hubert Vos (1855-1935), 1905 . 慈禧照相 CIXI Photograph by 裕勛齡(裕德齡二哥), 1904-1905 . 國立故宮博物院 National Palace Museum (Taipei, Taiwan) Open Data
