Accession Number
2004.19.2.22
Title
Album Leaf from Illustrations of Chinese Costumes
Category
albums
Object Type
album leaf
Artist
unknown
Date Made
date unknown
Place Made
China
Culture
Chinese
Period
Qing 18th century
Materials
ink; paper
Measurements
sheet: 17.2 cm x 28 cm; image: 11.4 cm x 18.6 cm
Description
This album leaf is a part of a 48-page album that depicts Chinese subjects participating in various aspects of daily life, including government business, daily life, cultural customs, modes of transportation, and…
This album leaf is a part of a 48-page album that depicts Chinese subjects participating in various aspects of daily life, including government business, daily life, cultural customs, modes of transportation, and corporal punishment. This leaf contains an ink and watercolour depiction of ankle crusher torture, or jiagun, which utilized three wooden boards and a length of cord that was gradually pulled to increase the pressure on the prisoner's ankle bones. This was a non-lethal form of punishment that was used to elicit a confession from the prisoner. In this scene, a man, dressed in a blue tunic and short pants, lays prone on a wooden plank with his ankles between three long skinny boards. Four men in mid-length black jackets, blue pants, and hats with feathers surround the prisoner. One holds his shoulders down, two pull on a long cord, and the fourth uses a mallet to strike the boars, breaking the prisoner’s bones and causing immense pain.
Credit Line
Gift of Sandy and Cécile Mactaggart
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Citation
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Page Citation for 2004.19.2.22 - Album Leaf from Illustrations of Chinese Costumes
Page Citation
"2004.19.2.22 - Album Leaf from Illustrations of Chinese Costumes, Mactaggart Art Collection." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/21-19996. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.