Two seals belonging to the Qianlong Emperor, with fitted stands and decorated box

Object Details

• Label

  These seals, which belonged to the Qianlong emperor (reigned 1736-1795), read respectively: "heavenly ability" and "rare achievement to reach seventy years old." Seals, which can bear personal names or commendatory phrases, are symbols of ownership and authority as well as aesthetic objects, and their carving constitutes a special branch of calligraphy. In use a seal is pressed into a vermillion paste and then stamped onto paper or silk to leave bright red impressions of the characters. The box bears several poems by Qianlong, which he composed in different years. One concerns his receipt of the seals; another, which appears on the front of the box, is about tiger hunting and relates to the design on the top of the box.

• Provenance

  About 1780

  Hongli, the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799; reigned 1735-1796), about 1780 [1]

  Puyi (1906-1967; reigned 1908-1912), Emperor of China [2]

  To 1945

  Puxiu, relative of Puyi, by descent, to 1945 [3]

  From 1945 to 1978

  Private collection, Washington, DC, acquired from Puxiu in 1945 [4]

  From 1978

  Freer Gallery of Art, given by a private collector in 1978 [5]

  Notes:

  [1] The objects were probably made for Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799; reigned 1735-1796), circa 1780 (see Curatorial Notes 3, 4, and 5, Jan Stuart, 1991-1995, in object record).

  [2] The donor acquired the objects in 1945 from Puxiu, a relative of Puyi (1906-1967; reigned 1908-1912), the last emperor of the Qing dynasty. According to Puxiu, the seals and the covered box had belonged to the Qing emperor, Puyi (see Curatorial Note 2, T. Lawton, 1979, in object record).

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] See note 2.

  [5] The object was transferred from the Freer Study Collection to the Freer Permanent Collection, on March 3, 1978 (see Curatorial Note 9 in the object record).

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Old Tales Retold: Narrative in Chinese Painting (April 20 to October 20, 2013)

  Beyond Paper: Chinese Calligraphy on Objects (August 18, 1994 to July 3, 1997)

  Chinese Art (May 9 to November 29, 1993)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 乾隆帝 (1711-1799)

  Puyi, Emperor of China (1906-1967, reigned 1908-1912)

  Puxiu

  Anonymous

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Anonymous gift

• Type

  Tool and Equipment

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1770s, 1780s

• Name

  Hongli, Puxiu, Pope, John Alexander, Puyi

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Inlay (process), Chinese Art, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Seal script, Jade, Kings and rulers, Qianlong reign (1736 - 1796), Dragon

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Tools and equipment