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Intimacy and Autonomy: Ma Xianglan’s Social Networks in Late Ming China
Luan, Xingning
Luan, Xingning
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Abstract
During the Ming 明 dynasty (1368-1644), courtesans in the Jiangnan 江南 area were deeply connected to both literati circles as well as the prosperous commodified economy. This thesis focuses on Ma Xianglan (馬湘蘭, 1548-1604), a renowned courtesan, painter, and poet, to explore how elite courtesans like her navigated the male-dominated literati world and the competitive art market at the time. By studying the social function of her artistic production and literary exchanges, this study argues that Ma Xianglan carefully shaped her own persona and managed her relationships to achieve autonomy in her career and social life.
This thesis will address the following questions: How did commercial prosperity influence the construction and promotion of courtesans’ public images? How did Ma Xianglan use artistic and literary production as a means of self-fashioning and self-promotion? Finally, how did courtesans claim their agency and legacy while interacting with literati? By reconsidering Ma Xianglan’s relationship with Wang Zhideng (王穉登, 1535-1612) and other literati, my research seeks to show how courtesans balanced their personal connections with their own agenda.
In short, through a close reading of relevant primary sources, including Ma Xianglan’s paintings, poetry, personal correspondence, and writings by contemporary literati, this study demonstrates how courtesans used their talents and social skills to carve out space for themselves, negotiated the boundaries of different relationships and asserted their autonomy in the intellectual and artistic circles of their time.
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Date
2025-01-01
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University of Kansas
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This item contains archived web content.
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Luan_ku_0099M_19980.pdf
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- Embargoed until 2176-05-31
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Keywords
Asian literature, Art market, Courtesan, Late Ming China, Ma Xianglan, Women's poetry