The mark of Zhengde

​​Under the base of our incense burner is a mark of Ming Emperor Zhengde written in Chinese script, which reads zhengde nian zhi 正德年製, meaning ‘made in the Zhengde period’. The Zhengde Emperor, Zhu Houzhao 朱厚照 (1491-1521, reigned from 1506 to 1521), was the eleventh emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In the Ming period (1368-1644), ceramics based on Islamic metalwork appeared. During the reign of Zhengde, porcelain ware in Islamic forms, decorated with Arabic inscriptions, such as Qur’anic verses and Persian poems, were produced. The Zhengde Emperor himself was interested in Islam. It is said that he sometimes dressed in Arab costumes, and prohibited the consumption of pork.IAMM, _Six Centuries of Islamic Art in China, p. 16.He surrounded himself with many Muslims who served at his court as eunuchs and advisors. Weng Yuwen, ‘The Followers of Allah: Ming Wuzong and Court Wares with Islamic Inscription,’ Gugong xueshu jikan, vol. 29, no. 2 (Taipei, 2011), p. 170. He had a private chamber outside the Forbidden City known as The Leopards’ Chamber (Bao Fang) where he was accompanied by Muslim eunuchs and consorts. Muslim envoys also received special treatment from the emperor who offered them free accommodation at the Huitongguan, a housing built for tributaries. Weng Yuwen, p. 176.

It is also said that the high point of Islam in China was during the Ming era, because it was during this time that Muslims acquired unprecedented political influence.China Gallery | IAMM,(accessed 10/08/2021). Perhaps this was the (real) mark of the Zhengde Emperor. His apparent open attitude towards Islam not only yielded Chinese goods which took on Islamic forms and motifs, but more importantly produced a far-reaching interchange of culture, technology, ideas and religious thought.

Let’s now travel (further) back in time and across the seas!