- Provenance
- Provenance research underway.
- Label
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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.
- Collection Area(s)
- Chinese Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-7695_27