The Drawings of Ferdinando Bonaventura Moggi (1684−1761) and the Applied Arts Workshops (Zaobanchu) at the Qing Court

This chapter explores the activities of the Florentine architect-engineer Ferdinando Bonaventura Moggi (Li Boming 李博明) in Beijing. Through analysis of Moggi’s life and works, the chapter calls attention to the daily labor experiences of the skilled artisan community that sustained the Zaobanchu 造辦處 (Applied Arts Workshops)—that is, the twenty-eight ateliers founded in 1680 at the Qing court, where glassworks, enamel furnishings, clocks, cannons, paintings, maps, and much more were produced. Although Moggi was previously considered a “minor” missionary figure, scholarly focus on someone like him helps us redefine the missionary artist, revealing in particular the material conditions of construction and ornament production. The chapter argues that attention to this historically marginalized class of artisans and their work is essential for understanding the true scope of Jesuit contributions to the visual arts in China, not only within the confines of the court but also beyond it.