Fantastic quality and detail to the enamel decoration featuring a five clawed dragon chasing flaming pearls and Phoenix with ruyi border to the mouth. Some minor wear to the gilt decoration around the mouth, commensurate with age. No chips, nibbles, cracks. A large piece standing 39cm tall and measures 25cm in diameter. Empress Dowager Cixi’s family title in relation to Emperor Guangxu would be “great-aunt” or grand-aunt. This is because Emperor Guangxu was the son of Prince Chun, who was the younger brother of Empress Dowager Cixi’s husband, Emperor Xianfeng. Therefore, Emperor Guangxu was Empress Dowager Cixi’s grand-nephew or great-nephew, depending on the specific terminology used. The reign of the Guangxu (Glorious Succession) Emperor lasted from 1875 to 1908. His name was Zaitian AISIN-GIORO. He was born August 14, 1871 and ascended the throne in 1875 at the age of four as the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He was adopted by the Empress Dowager Cixi as her son. Until age nineteen, in 1894, the Guangxu Emperor was “aided” in his rule by the Empress Dowager Cixi. Four years later, in 1898 at age 23, he initiated the Hundred Days’ Reform in an attempt to modernize China which was abruptly stopped same year by Cixi, after which he was put under house arrest until his death in November 14, 1908. The cause of his death remains a mystery until this day. He was succeeded by Empress Dowager Cixi’s hand picked heir, his nephew Puyi, who became the Xuantong Emperor.
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