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

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 1
IIIF

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At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 1780
  • Geography

    China
  • Material

    Seals: jade; stand: wood, possibly zitan; box: wood, possibly zitan, with semiprecious stone, mother-of-pearl, silver, and gold inlay
  • Dimension

    H x Diam (a: seal): 3.6 x 3.8 cm (1 7/16 x 1 1/2 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1978.51a-f
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1978.51a-f

Object Details

  • Previous custodian or owner

    Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 乾隆帝 (1711-1799)
    Puyi, Emperor of China (1906-1967, reigned 1908-1912)
    Puxiu
    Anonymous
  • 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).
  • Origin

    China
  • Credit Line

    Anonymous gift
  • Type

    Tool and Equipment
  • Restrictions and Rights

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