The Authority of Aesthetics: A Translation of Power

Abstract

This paper examines how aesthetics function as a mechanism of political authority through the case study of a Qing Dynasty jade plaque, inscribed with a poem by the Emperor Qianlong and now held in the Museum of Anthropology (MOA). Using a socio-cultural anthropological lens, the study analyzes how imperial authorship and material choice naturalize hierarchy. Referencing Jacques Rancière’s distribution of the sensible, the paper argues that the plaque operates not just as a decorative object but as a political aesthetic medium. Expanding on this, this paper explores how this authority is reconfigured when an object enters the museum and is influenced by curatorial ranging and classification systems. As the plaque enters the museum, its position shifts from representing imperial sovereignty to cultural heritage, contributing to a broader debate in the study of material culture and critical museology.