Qianlong (reign 1735-1796 CE, emeritus 1796-1799)
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : China Chinese porcelain Qing porcelain Glass and crystal Glass II Chinese art Jewels II Imperial seal Jadeite Cities Bird Chinese dragon Cartier
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1740-1749 1750-1759 1760-1769 1933
See also : China Chinese porcelain Qing porcelain Glass and crystal Glass II Chinese art Jewels II Imperial seal Jadeite Cities Bird Chinese dragon Cartier
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1740-1749 1750-1759 1760-1769 1933
for reference
1736 Portrait of the Qianlong Emperor by Castiglione
Palace Museum, Beijing
The Kangxi Emperor favored the contact with Europe. By the 49th year of his reign, the court accepted a suggestion of the Jesuits to invite a painter. The candidature of the lay brother Giuseppe Castiglione was accepted.
Castiglione arrived in Beijing in the 54th year of Kangxi, 1715 CE. The skills of this young man aged 27 appealed to the emperor and he became a court painter under the name Lang Shining. He never left the imperial court. In his outstanding career that lasted half a century without harm or conflict, he assimilated the traditional techniques of Chinese graphic art without forgetting his original training.
The court painters were considered as imperial officials and did not sign their works. Lang Shining and his studio are credited with near certainty for the paintings that incorporate such Western features like perspective or like the shades that enhance the realism of the face.
The official portraits of the Emperor and his favorite Ladies are a tradition in the Chinese court. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Castiglione arrived in Beijing in the 54th year of Kangxi, 1715 CE. The skills of this young man aged 27 appealed to the emperor and he became a court painter under the name Lang Shining. He never left the imperial court. In his outstanding career that lasted half a century without harm or conflict, he assimilated the traditional techniques of Chinese graphic art without forgetting his original training.
The court painters were considered as imperial officials and did not sign their works. Lang Shining and his studio are credited with near certainty for the paintings that incorporate such Western features like perspective or like the shades that enhance the realism of the face.
The official portraits of the Emperor and his favorite Ladies are a tradition in the Chinese court. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1736 Swallow Bowl
2023 SOLD for HK$ 200M by Sotheby's
A culmination of the artistic porcelain skill is the narrative wrapping around a falangcai vessel, like the image from a handscroll interrupted by a poem on the reverse.
According to the palace records, ‘a large pair of bowls with apricot grove and spring swallows’ was submitted in 1734 CE during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor. A pair matching this description is kept in the palace Museum in Taipei.
A similar pair bearing the same poem with another illustration of the trees and birds bears the imperial mark of Qianlong. It was arguably prepared at the very beginning of that reign, 1736. The narrative illustration was soon afterward out-fashioned, the new emperor preferring naturalistic themes. Both elements are slightly different one another in the practice of the Yongzheng reign.
The Qianlong pair was separated at auction in 1929. One of the bowls soon joined the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum.
Its counterpart went to several prestigious owners including Barbara Hutton and Dr Alice Cheng. It was sold for HK $ 150M by Christie's on November 28, 2006, lot 1309, and for HK $ 200M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2023, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
This small piece 11.3 cm in diameter is potted with translucent rounded sides rising to a flaring rim. The exterior is enameled in two shades of pink, yellow, green, brown and black. Its Qianlong four-character imperial mark is inserted in a double square.
Illustrating the pleasure of spring, it features two auspicious swallows flying in the sky beside a blossoming apricot tree intertwined with a willow. Such a combination had been considered as vulgar by a Ming taste arbiter. The willow tree is an emblem for a slender beautiful woman while the apricot refers to a playful sexuality. Swallows bring worldwide the announcement of spring. Often seen in pairs, they also symbolize a loving couple.
The ten-character poem inscribed in four black lines on the reverse is related with a dance performed by a Tang imperial concubine with a gown of shimmering feathers. Its three lines are respectively preceded and followed by ruby red enamel seals meaning early spring and dawn glow.
According to the palace records, ‘a large pair of bowls with apricot grove and spring swallows’ was submitted in 1734 CE during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor. A pair matching this description is kept in the palace Museum in Taipei.
A similar pair bearing the same poem with another illustration of the trees and birds bears the imperial mark of Qianlong. It was arguably prepared at the very beginning of that reign, 1736. The narrative illustration was soon afterward out-fashioned, the new emperor preferring naturalistic themes. Both elements are slightly different one another in the practice of the Yongzheng reign.
The Qianlong pair was separated at auction in 1929. One of the bowls soon joined the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum.
Its counterpart went to several prestigious owners including Barbara Hutton and Dr Alice Cheng. It was sold for HK $ 150M by Christie's on November 28, 2006, lot 1309, and for HK $ 200M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2023, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
This small piece 11.3 cm in diameter is potted with translucent rounded sides rising to a flaring rim. The exterior is enameled in two shades of pink, yellow, green, brown and black. Its Qianlong four-character imperial mark is inserted in a double square.
Illustrating the pleasure of spring, it features two auspicious swallows flying in the sky beside a blossoming apricot tree intertwined with a willow. Such a combination had been considered as vulgar by a Ming taste arbiter. The willow tree is an emblem for a slender beautiful woman while the apricot refers to a playful sexuality. Swallows bring worldwide the announcement of spring. Often seen in pairs, they also symbolize a loving couple.
The ten-character poem inscribed in four black lines on the reverse is related with a dance performed by a Tang imperial concubine with a gown of shimmering feathers. Its three lines are respectively preceded and followed by ruby red enamel seals meaning early spring and dawn glow.
1737 Falangcai on Glass
2019 SOLD for HK$ 207M by Sotheby's
In the transfer of the European technology of enamel painting, the Kangxi emperor creates a workshop in 1693 CE in the Forbidden City. The new technique will be used on several supports : copper, silver, porcelain. Three years later, Kangxi opens a glass workshop in the same place.
Enamel on glass is the most difficult technique. Each color demands a different baking to be lively, and a little overheating above the enamel melting point damages the glass. The term used is falangcai as for porcelain. The imperial archives do not mention any glass falangcai before 1705. The surviving pieces from the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng are incredibly rare.
When he succeeds his father, Qianlong is overflowing with enthusiasm for all forms of art. He expects from his workshops unprecedented technical achievements along with decorations of utmost finesse and originality.
On the 22nd day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of his reign, in 1737 CE, the archives record the presentation to the emperor by three eunuchs of a glass vase shaped like a pouch. This blue vase is immediately returned to the workshops for being copied. It did not survive.
Two glass falangcai with a bright yellow enamel background certainly correspond to this commission. Slightly different in shape and completely different in the decor, they were not scheduled as pendants. All other glass falangcai of this form were failed or broken.
These two pieces are of the largest dimension for this technique, 18 cm high. The pleated ovoid shape imitating the silk is knotted by a ribbon in high relief which very elegantly clasps the upper part of the purse. The imperial mark appears within a flower.
Both objects belonged in the nineteenth century to an imperial prince. They were sold separately by Sotheby's in 1988. One of them, with a dense set of twelve dragons, is now to the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
The other piece is the best achievement. Its colors are brighter. The picture with two phoenix twirling amidst flowers is very pleasant with flamboyant plumages. The rim is crenellated. Nicholas Chow, chairman of Sotheby's Asia, considers that it is the most important Qing artwork in private hands.
This glass pouch was sold by Sotheby's for HK $ 24M on October 29, 2000, and for HK $ 207M on October 8, 2019, lot 1. The press release of August 28 announces an expected price in excess of HK $ 200M. It is narrated by Nicholas Chow in the video shared by The Value.
Enamel on glass is the most difficult technique. Each color demands a different baking to be lively, and a little overheating above the enamel melting point damages the glass. The term used is falangcai as for porcelain. The imperial archives do not mention any glass falangcai before 1705. The surviving pieces from the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng are incredibly rare.
When he succeeds his father, Qianlong is overflowing with enthusiasm for all forms of art. He expects from his workshops unprecedented technical achievements along with decorations of utmost finesse and originality.
On the 22nd day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of his reign, in 1737 CE, the archives record the presentation to the emperor by three eunuchs of a glass vase shaped like a pouch. This blue vase is immediately returned to the workshops for being copied. It did not survive.
Two glass falangcai with a bright yellow enamel background certainly correspond to this commission. Slightly different in shape and completely different in the decor, they were not scheduled as pendants. All other glass falangcai of this form were failed or broken.
These two pieces are of the largest dimension for this technique, 18 cm high. The pleated ovoid shape imitating the silk is knotted by a ribbon in high relief which very elegantly clasps the upper part of the purse. The imperial mark appears within a flower.
Both objects belonged in the nineteenth century to an imperial prince. They were sold separately by Sotheby's in 1988. One of them, with a dense set of twelve dragons, is now to the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
The other piece is the best achievement. Its colors are brighter. The picture with two phoenix twirling amidst flowers is very pleasant with flamboyant plumages. The rim is crenellated. Nicholas Chow, chairman of Sotheby's Asia, considers that it is the most important Qing artwork in private hands.
This glass pouch was sold by Sotheby's for HK $ 24M on October 29, 2000, and for HK $ 207M on October 8, 2019, lot 1. The press release of August 28 announces an expected price in excess of HK $ 200M. It is narrated by Nicholas Chow in the video shared by The Value.
1743 Qianlong reticulated vase
2010 UNPAID at £ 43M plus a buyer's premium of £ 8.6M, at Bainbridges
In 1728 CE, Tang Ying is appointed by the Yongzheng emperor as the Superintendent of the Imperial porcelain produced at Jingdezhen. He spends several years observing the best practices of the potters. One of his first major successes is the development of the yangcai, offering a less expensive substitute to the Imperial City's falangcai that remains the high end.
These first years are experimental, with pieces of all shapes. Qianlong who succeeds Yongzheng in 1735 CE is just as demanding as his father. To please him, they must constantly bring novelties that match his ambitious role as Son of Heaven, accumulating the styles of all dynasties and integrating the new European trends.
In the early 1740s Tang Ying's expertise in Jingdezhen has no limits. The most complicated pieces are technological syntheses that require a long succession of firings at the risk of a low yield.
In a memorandum submitted to Qianlong in 1743 CE, Tang Ying apologizes for the small amount of units produced in the new style of double vase, only nine. The inner part is enclosed in the outer vase with a distance of about 3 to 4 cm between their walls. The outer vase is pierced by large holes of various elegant shapes that allow the peeping to the inner part. The exterior is decorated with the same profusion as more classical imperial pieces.
Qianlong does not request the impossible. He authorizes to complete in pairs those models that had been produced in single pieces before suspending this technique sine die.
A reticulated vase with pairs of fishes surfaced in Middlesex in 2010. 40 cm high, it mixes archaic, Song, Buddhist and rocaille inspirations, juxtaposing the classic celadon and the modern yangcai in a yellow ground with sgraffiato. The inner wall is a blue and white in Ming style. After 30 minutes of bidding, Bainbridges's hammer fell at £ 43M, £ 51.6M including the premium, but the payment failed and the sale was cancelled. Here is the link to the 2012 report by The Telegraph before the sale was cancelled.
In 2010 nobody had considered the catalog of the exhibition in New York in 1905 of a Japanese collection where its pairing piece had been photographed and described. This vase has resurfaced. It was sold for HK $ 150M by Sotheby's on October 3, 2018, lot 3001. It differs from the Middlesex specimen by a rarer variant of the reign mark and so may be the master item produced for that pair.
These first years are experimental, with pieces of all shapes. Qianlong who succeeds Yongzheng in 1735 CE is just as demanding as his father. To please him, they must constantly bring novelties that match his ambitious role as Son of Heaven, accumulating the styles of all dynasties and integrating the new European trends.
In the early 1740s Tang Ying's expertise in Jingdezhen has no limits. The most complicated pieces are technological syntheses that require a long succession of firings at the risk of a low yield.
In a memorandum submitted to Qianlong in 1743 CE, Tang Ying apologizes for the small amount of units produced in the new style of double vase, only nine. The inner part is enclosed in the outer vase with a distance of about 3 to 4 cm between their walls. The outer vase is pierced by large holes of various elegant shapes that allow the peeping to the inner part. The exterior is decorated with the same profusion as more classical imperial pieces.
Qianlong does not request the impossible. He authorizes to complete in pairs those models that had been produced in single pieces before suspending this technique sine die.
A reticulated vase with pairs of fishes surfaced in Middlesex in 2010. 40 cm high, it mixes archaic, Song, Buddhist and rocaille inspirations, juxtaposing the classic celadon and the modern yangcai in a yellow ground with sgraffiato. The inner wall is a blue and white in Ming style. After 30 minutes of bidding, Bainbridges's hammer fell at £ 43M, £ 51.6M including the premium, but the payment failed and the sale was cancelled. Here is the link to the 2012 report by The Telegraph before the sale was cancelled.
In 2010 nobody had considered the catalog of the exhibition in New York in 1905 of a Japanese collection where its pairing piece had been photographed and described. This vase has resurfaced. It was sold for HK $ 150M by Sotheby's on October 3, 2018, lot 3001. It differs from the Middlesex specimen by a rarer variant of the reign mark and so may be the master item produced for that pair.
Undated Cimu Vase
2014 SOLD for $ 24.7M by Skinner
The deposition of the enamel powders before heating is named falangcai (foreign colors) in recognition of the role of the Jesuits in the development of this technique.
When the enamel creates opaque colors, the technique is identified as yangcai, or fencai meaning powdery colors when it is more specifically applied to an Imperial yangcai. The term yangcai was introduced in the final year of the Yongzheng reign, 1735 CE, by Tang Ying, the supervisor of the Jingdezhen imperial workshops.
The cimu meaning mother of porcelains is a vase of the most exceptional size and complexity. It is usually made using a dozen glazing techniques, and has to go through many complicated processes during manufacture.
The technical feat and the rarity converge to suppose that it mas made in the period of the Tang Ying supervision under the authority of the Qianlong emperor, before 1744 CE.
A cimu 87 cm high with a 27.3 cm mouth width surfaced in New England. The body is made of twelve rectangular panels of varied themes including flowers and landscapes, half of them in fencai. It bears the imperial mark of Qianlong under the base.
It was sold for $ 24.7M from a lower estimate of $ 150K by Skinner on September 17, 2014, lot 96. It is damaged with some cracks and scratches and underwent minor repairs in five places. It is illustrated in the post sale report by ChinaCulture.
The only pairing example of its size and decoration is kept at the National Palace Museum in Beijing.
When the enamel creates opaque colors, the technique is identified as yangcai, or fencai meaning powdery colors when it is more specifically applied to an Imperial yangcai. The term yangcai was introduced in the final year of the Yongzheng reign, 1735 CE, by Tang Ying, the supervisor of the Jingdezhen imperial workshops.
The cimu meaning mother of porcelains is a vase of the most exceptional size and complexity. It is usually made using a dozen glazing techniques, and has to go through many complicated processes during manufacture.
The technical feat and the rarity converge to suppose that it mas made in the period of the Tang Ying supervision under the authority of the Qianlong emperor, before 1744 CE.
A cimu 87 cm high with a 27.3 cm mouth width surfaced in New England. The body is made of twelve rectangular panels of varied themes including flowers and landscapes, half of them in fencai. It bears the imperial mark of Qianlong under the base.
It was sold for $ 24.7M from a lower estimate of $ 150K by Skinner on September 17, 2014, lot 96. It is damaged with some cracks and scratches and underwent minor repairs in five places. It is illustrated in the post sale report by ChinaCulture.
The only pairing example of its size and decoration is kept at the National Palace Museum in Beijing.
1747 Qianlong Military Parade
2011 SOLD for € 22M by Marc Labarbe
Qianlong was only 24 when he became emperor of China. For establishing his authority, he has prepared a huge military parade in the best tradition of the Qing Dynasty. It will be held early in the fourth year of his reign.
The objective is achieved: the power of the young emperor is not disputed. To the delight of current enthusiasts and historians, Qianlong was to become the most important art collector and patron of all time.
At the tenth year of his reign, Qianlong wants to fix the memory of this great revue. He orders the artist Jin Kun to realize four huge scrolls on silk with the help of the official court painters. Fifteen months later, 1747 CE, the four works are ready to be assembled in their presentation boxes.
These paintings show the festivities in a chronological order. The second, 68 x 1757 cm, is kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The third, 68 cm x 1550, was sold HK $ 68M by Sotheby's on October 8, 2008. The catalog of that sale indicated that the other two were lost.
The French market for ancient Chinese art had been boosted after the scandal of the bronzes of the Saint-Laurent - Bergé collection. The fourth scroll resurfaced.
With the same height as the others, it is the longest: the incredible multitude of troops occupies 18 m of image. A primer including testimonials and seals increases this length to 24 m, on a diameter of 12 cm when rolled.
This piece was sold for € 22M by Marc Labarbe on March 26, 2011.
The objective is achieved: the power of the young emperor is not disputed. To the delight of current enthusiasts and historians, Qianlong was to become the most important art collector and patron of all time.
At the tenth year of his reign, Qianlong wants to fix the memory of this great revue. He orders the artist Jin Kun to realize four huge scrolls on silk with the help of the official court painters. Fifteen months later, 1747 CE, the four works are ready to be assembled in their presentation boxes.
These paintings show the festivities in a chronological order. The second, 68 x 1757 cm, is kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The third, 68 cm x 1550, was sold HK $ 68M by Sotheby's on October 8, 2008. The catalog of that sale indicated that the other two were lost.
The French market for ancient Chinese art had been boosted after the scandal of the bronzes of the Saint-Laurent - Bergé collection. The fourth scroll resurfaced.
With the same height as the others, it is the longest: the incredible multitude of troops occupies 18 m of image. A primer including testimonials and seals increases this length to 24 m, on a diameter of 12 cm when rolled.
This piece was sold for € 22M by Marc Labarbe on March 26, 2011.
1752 100 Birds Vase
2021 SOLD for RMB 266M by Poly
The manufacturing process of the reticulated revolving vase was arguably the most difficult ever, with the elements being assembled after separate firing. The Qianlong emperor wisely stopped it after pairing the last additional pieces to the production from the first batches.
The technology of the double vase nevertheless remained appealing for offering the most favorable auspices. Such pieces may be identified as turning heart bottles.
One of them, 63 cm high, is among the most massive in that category. The outer belly features a flying phoenix in a scenery. The open work matches the details of the landscape in irregular shapes, which is an additional feat with a higher risk of deformation during the firing. The rotation of the inner cylinder reveals the flock of ten species of auspicious birds in their flight facing the phoenix as a symbol of the harmonious balance of yin and yang.
The Divine Mother Empress Dowager Chongqing was held in very high regard by her son the Qianlong emperor and her 60th birthday in 1752 CE was one of the most lavish events of his reign.
The Imperial archives record that, on the fifth month of Qianlong's 18th year, the emperor commissioned Jingdezhen to fire a turning heart bottle with fighting dragons which was delivered by Tang Ying in the 11th month of the next year after 18 months of labor.
The yangcai vase with the phoenix was not documented. It was certainly prepared in the same period for a filial presenting to the empress dowager who was known to enjoy the story of the '100 birds'. It was sold for £ 330K by Christie's on June 15, 1999, lot 99, and for RMB 266M by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153.
The technology of the double vase nevertheless remained appealing for offering the most favorable auspices. Such pieces may be identified as turning heart bottles.
One of them, 63 cm high, is among the most massive in that category. The outer belly features a flying phoenix in a scenery. The open work matches the details of the landscape in irregular shapes, which is an additional feat with a higher risk of deformation during the firing. The rotation of the inner cylinder reveals the flock of ten species of auspicious birds in their flight facing the phoenix as a symbol of the harmonious balance of yin and yang.
The Divine Mother Empress Dowager Chongqing was held in very high regard by her son the Qianlong emperor and her 60th birthday in 1752 CE was one of the most lavish events of his reign.
The Imperial archives record that, on the fifth month of Qianlong's 18th year, the emperor commissioned Jingdezhen to fire a turning heart bottle with fighting dragons which was delivered by Tang Ying in the 11th month of the next year after 18 months of labor.
The yangcai vase with the phoenix was not documented. It was certainly prepared in the same period for a filial presenting to the empress dowager who was known to enjoy the story of the '100 birds'. It was sold for £ 330K by Christie's on June 15, 1999, lot 99, and for RMB 266M by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153.
Undated Qianlong Double Gourd Vase
2010 SOLD for HK$ 253M by Sotheby's
A vase was sold for HK $ 253M by Sotheby's on October 7, 2010 from a lower estimate of HK $ 30M, lot 2126.
This 40 cm high double gourd vase without handles bears the Qianlong imperial mark. By its design and execution, it is a magnificent example of the yangcai in the techniques and styles of Jingdezhen with its pale yellow background, a long cylindrical slender neck above the upper bulb and sgraffiato incisions.
This piece is enamel painted with flowers including lotus, peonies and hibiscus and with foliate scrolls. The large lower bulb is centered at both sides with a pink double lotus bloom in the style of Giuseppe Castiglione. Symbols of longevity are displayed in two gold medallions. The interior is glazed in bright turquoise.
Designed in Beijing around 1741 CE, the sgraffiato becomes in Jingdezhen a dense pattern of scrollwork deeply applied on the monochrome background for reminding a rich brocade.
This 40 cm high double gourd vase without handles bears the Qianlong imperial mark. By its design and execution, it is a magnificent example of the yangcai in the techniques and styles of Jingdezhen with its pale yellow background, a long cylindrical slender neck above the upper bulb and sgraffiato incisions.
This piece is enamel painted with flowers including lotus, peonies and hibiscus and with foliate scrolls. The large lower bulb is centered at both sides with a pink double lotus bloom in the style of Giuseppe Castiglione. Symbols of longevity are displayed in two gold medallions. The interior is glazed in bright turquoise.
Designed in Beijing around 1741 CE, the sgraffiato becomes in Jingdezhen a dense pattern of scrollwork deeply applied on the monochrome background for reminding a rich brocade.
Undated Qianlong Pheasant Vase
2011 SOLD for HK$ 200M by Sotheby's
When the Chinese emperor was powerful, he allowed foreign influences to mingle with the Imperial tradition. In the case of Qianlong, watchmaking, for example, has been a real transfer of technology from England and Chinese imports greatly contributed to the success of Swiss production.
The vases, snuff bottles and brushpots made during his reign reach a high degree of perfection. Shapes are Eastern but the subjects and compositions, sometimes, are European.
The enamels with European themes are named Falangcai ("foreign color"). A beautiful porcelain vase of this type passed at auction at Sotheby's from a lower estimate of HK $ 180M on April 7, 2011, lot 15. A press release from rhe aucrion house told that this vase has been sold for HK $ 200M privately after the sale.
It is 20 cm high and bears the Imperial mark. On a white background, its exquisite painting shows a couple of pheasants on a nest. The balance of the curves between the bottle and its neck is perfect.
The vases, snuff bottles and brushpots made during his reign reach a high degree of perfection. Shapes are Eastern but the subjects and compositions, sometimes, are European.
The enamels with European themes are named Falangcai ("foreign color"). A beautiful porcelain vase of this type passed at auction at Sotheby's from a lower estimate of HK $ 180M on April 7, 2011, lot 15. A press release from rhe aucrion house told that this vase has been sold for HK $ 200M privately after the sale.
It is 20 cm high and bears the Imperial mark. On a white background, its exquisite painting shows a couple of pheasants on a nest. The balance of the curves between the bottle and its neck is perfect.
1764 Pacification of the Western Regions by Xu Yang
2021 SOLD for RMB 410M by Poly
From the 20th to 24th year of Qianlong matching 1755 to 1759 CE, the emperor ordered three military campaigns for the control of the border Xinjiang region and the destruction of the Dzungars.
Xu Yang was a court artist. A handscroll 43 x 1860 cm in bright colors on paper is titled Picture of the Presentation of the Captives for the Pacification of the Western Regions. Commissioned by the emperor, it depicts scenes in Beijing during a military ceremony in the Qing palace after the victories. His sense of perspective and figuration were influenced by European art.
This detailed topographic picture leads the viewer from Zhengyang gate to the Forbidden City through Tiananmen Square. Crowds are displayed alongside lines of guards and flag bearers.
According to the archives Xu Yang should have completed this painting before the 29th year of Qianlong's reign, 1764 CE.
This piece was originally displayed with brocade wrapping in the imperial palace and bears several seals of Qianlong. It was sold for RMB 134M by Sungari in 2009 and for RMB 410M by Poly on June 6, 2021, lot 1935 and is illustrated in the post sale report shared by CNN. Two details are illustrated in the tweet below.
Xu Yang was a court artist. A handscroll 43 x 1860 cm in bright colors on paper is titled Picture of the Presentation of the Captives for the Pacification of the Western Regions. Commissioned by the emperor, it depicts scenes in Beijing during a military ceremony in the Qing palace after the victories. His sense of perspective and figuration were influenced by European art.
This detailed topographic picture leads the viewer from Zhengyang gate to the Forbidden City through Tiananmen Square. Crowds are displayed alongside lines of guards and flag bearers.
According to the archives Xu Yang should have completed this painting before the 29th year of Qianlong's reign, 1764 CE.
This piece was originally displayed with brocade wrapping in the imperial palace and bears several seals of Qianlong. It was sold for RMB 134M by Sungari in 2009 and for RMB 410M by Poly on June 6, 2021, lot 1935 and is illustrated in the post sale report shared by CNN. Two details are illustrated in the tweet below.
Maybe the most expensive item in the coming Beijing Spring Auction:
— China in Pictures (@tongbingxue) May 17, 2021
Settling Down the Western Regions and Presenting Prisoners,
hand scroll by court artist Xu Yang, Qianlong Period (1736-1796), 1,800 cm wide, Poly Auction, POR. pic.twitter.com/SJqs7nM4DR
Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao
2016 SOLD for € 21M by Pierre Bergé et Associés
A great personal lover of all forms of literature and art, the Qianlong emperor affixed a seal to the work he had just consulted. For the pieces that did not deserve the creation of a specific poem, the choice of the seal recorded the degree of satisfaction of the emperor.
One of the most prestigious was the Qian Long Yu Lan Zhi Bao, meaning The Treasure Carefully Examined by the Qianlong Emperor. For example, the scroll of the Banquet of the Victory, sold for € 6.1M by Christie's on November 22, 2005, had been awarded this mark.
Even higher in that hierarchy, there was the Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao, the Treasure from the Imperial Brush of Qianlong, reserved for paintings and calligraphy made by the emperor himself. This mark was equivalent to a signature.
On December 14, 2016, the Pierre Bergé et Associés auction house sold for € 21M a Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao seal. Please watch the video shared by Hôtel Drouot.
This large seal 10.5 x 10.5 cm with an overall height of 9 cm was made of beige and red steatite from Shou Shan. Its decoration is a work of art loaded with symbols.
The upper part, 5 cm high, shows a knot of no less than nine closely entwined dragons pursuing the sacred pearl which is clearly visible and accessible right in the middle of the group. This figure symbolizes the imperial authority at its highest level. It surmounts a 4 cm carved base made up of a frieze of stylized dragons in the archaic style.
One of the most prestigious was the Qian Long Yu Lan Zhi Bao, meaning The Treasure Carefully Examined by the Qianlong Emperor. For example, the scroll of the Banquet of the Victory, sold for € 6.1M by Christie's on November 22, 2005, had been awarded this mark.
Even higher in that hierarchy, there was the Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao, the Treasure from the Imperial Brush of Qianlong, reserved for paintings and calligraphy made by the emperor himself. This mark was equivalent to a signature.
On December 14, 2016, the Pierre Bergé et Associés auction house sold for € 21M a Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao seal. Please watch the video shared by Hôtel Drouot.
This large seal 10.5 x 10.5 cm with an overall height of 9 cm was made of beige and red steatite from Shou Shan. Its decoration is a work of art loaded with symbols.
The upper part, 5 cm high, shows a knot of no less than nine closely entwined dragons pursuing the sacred pearl which is clearly visible and accessible right in the middle of the group. This figure symbolizes the imperial authority at its highest level. It surmounts a 4 cm carved base made up of a frieze of stylized dragons in the archaic style.
Jadeite Necklace
2014 SOLD for HK$ 214M by Sotheby's
The ancient Chinese knew to work with nephrite, using sandblasting techniques to create complex shapes. Jadeite was a sensational discovery traditionally attributed to the Tang dynasty. Both materials have a similar hardness and are associated under the generic term of jade, yu in Chinese.
The rarity and beauty of the jadeite made it a prerogative of the emperors. Its shaping requires a detailed observation of the rough stone and a long patience. Its emerald green color and its transparency can be marred by cracks that will expand during grinding or carving, or by chemical impurities that will cancel the visual homogeneity of the piece.
The use of jadeite in high jewelry finds its culmination during the reign of Qianlong. The lacking of new deposits of sufficient quality made its process regressing despite an undeniable easier practice offered by modern machine tools.
Jadeite exists in various colors. Green is a common color of jadeite when it contains chromium. The finest hues are Imperial green, intense green and vivid green. They come almost exclusively from Burma, currently Myanmar. As with pink diamonds, very subtle differences significantly change the price and a direct inspection remains highly recommended.
These green variants were the most precious jewels at the Qing imperial court, in the form of beads, cabochons and bangles, without superfluous embellishment. The history of the extraction of a rough is lost. Keeping the homogeneity in a set of beads generated much waste, so that the necklaces of round beads are the most appreciated.
This mineral rock can be carved, which is not the case of the diamond which is cut. Shaping a jade bead requires an exceptional know-how and skill which culminated during the reign of Qianlong. In the 19th century the Empress Dowager Cixi was fond of them. The jadeite is polished without facets, to better display its almost aqueous luminosity.
Despite the troubles in the China of the later Qing, the most important collections of jade beads were not mixed or separated. They have often been assembled, or re-assembled, into necklaces in the 20th century, with gently graduated bead sizes and with clasps in diamond or ruby. A perfect necklace must be uniform in color shade, in translucency and in texture, which requires that the elements have been carved from the same rough.
The prestige of jade reached the Western world. A lot of 27 highly reflective emerald green jadeite beads, between 15.4 and 19.2 mm in diameter, is included in 1933 in the inventory of Cartier.
It is mounted in the same year by Cartier as a necklace with a clasp in ruby and diamond, to be offered as a wedding gift to the wealthy Barbara Hutton by her father. As Christina Onassis later, Barbara Hutton had a difficult life. The husband's family kept the precious necklace.
Considered as the greatest jadeite necklace in existence, this jewel wins the highest auction price in its category each time it comes to auction : HK $ 15.6M in 1988 and HK $ 33M in 1994. It was sold for HK $ 214M from a lower estimate of HK $ 100M by Sotheby's on April 7, 2014, lot 1847.
The rarity and beauty of the jadeite made it a prerogative of the emperors. Its shaping requires a detailed observation of the rough stone and a long patience. Its emerald green color and its transparency can be marred by cracks that will expand during grinding or carving, or by chemical impurities that will cancel the visual homogeneity of the piece.
The use of jadeite in high jewelry finds its culmination during the reign of Qianlong. The lacking of new deposits of sufficient quality made its process regressing despite an undeniable easier practice offered by modern machine tools.
Jadeite exists in various colors. Green is a common color of jadeite when it contains chromium. The finest hues are Imperial green, intense green and vivid green. They come almost exclusively from Burma, currently Myanmar. As with pink diamonds, very subtle differences significantly change the price and a direct inspection remains highly recommended.
These green variants were the most precious jewels at the Qing imperial court, in the form of beads, cabochons and bangles, without superfluous embellishment. The history of the extraction of a rough is lost. Keeping the homogeneity in a set of beads generated much waste, so that the necklaces of round beads are the most appreciated.
This mineral rock can be carved, which is not the case of the diamond which is cut. Shaping a jade bead requires an exceptional know-how and skill which culminated during the reign of Qianlong. In the 19th century the Empress Dowager Cixi was fond of them. The jadeite is polished without facets, to better display its almost aqueous luminosity.
Despite the troubles in the China of the later Qing, the most important collections of jade beads were not mixed or separated. They have often been assembled, or re-assembled, into necklaces in the 20th century, with gently graduated bead sizes and with clasps in diamond or ruby. A perfect necklace must be uniform in color shade, in translucency and in texture, which requires that the elements have been carved from the same rough.
The prestige of jade reached the Western world. A lot of 27 highly reflective emerald green jadeite beads, between 15.4 and 19.2 mm in diameter, is included in 1933 in the inventory of Cartier.
It is mounted in the same year by Cartier as a necklace with a clasp in ruby and diamond, to be offered as a wedding gift to the wealthy Barbara Hutton by her father. As Christina Onassis later, Barbara Hutton had a difficult life. The husband's family kept the precious necklace.
Considered as the greatest jadeite necklace in existence, this jewel wins the highest auction price in its category each time it comes to auction : HK $ 15.6M in 1988 and HK $ 33M in 1994. It was sold for HK $ 214M from a lower estimate of HK $ 100M by Sotheby's on April 7, 2014, lot 1847.
