A black-and-white perspective engraving of the Chinese emperor's throne centered on a raised marble platform within a large symmetrical palace court.

1697 · Engraving

The throne of the Emperor of China

Franz Ertinger; published with text by Louis Le Comte

Why it matters

The distant throne, axial courts, and repeated balustrades turn sovereignty into spatial order. The engraving supports Le Comte’s account by making the Qing court appear regulated, monumental, and intelligible to a European reader.

Publication
Illustrations de Nouveaux mémoires sur l'état présent de la Chine
Holding institution
Médiathèque du musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac; digitized by Bibliothèque nationale de France
Shelfmark
ark:/12148/btv1b2300608z, plate 2
Rights
Public-domain work; digital image reused under Gallica’s terms

Ertinger, Franz. Le trône de l'Empereur de la Chine. In Illustrations de Nouveaux mémoires sur l'état présent de la Chine, 1697. Médiathèque du musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, ark:/12148/btv1b2300608z.