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Lot Essay
The present jade book was formerly in the collection of Comte de Semalle (fig. 1) who served as a secretary at the French Embassy in Beijing from 1880-1884, and published his memoire, Quatre ans a Pekin, in Paris in 1933.
Jade books were highly-sumptuous items made only for the most important rituals or investitures of emperors. During the Qianlong period however, a large quantity of jade books were made for the pleasure of the Qianlong Emperor, in part out of his fascination with jades, and in part due to the increase in supply of the material following the successful conquest of Xinjiang area in 1759.
This group of Qianlong jade books bear inscriptions of primarily three different categories. The first is the conferment of special titles to imperial members, such as a celadon jade book documenting the conferment of the title Empress Dowager Chongqing to the Qianlong Emperor's mother in 1771, in the Beijing Palace Museum Collection and illustrated in Life in the Forbidden City of Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2007, no. 19. The second type of jade book records essays or poems by the Qianlong Emperor himself, sometimes to express his views on certain subjects or to commemorate his glorious achievements, such as a white jade book recording the establishment of the Pavilion of Literary Pool which was situated inside the palace to house the Siku Quanshu, 'Complete Collection in Four Treasuries'. This book, also in the Palace Museum Collection, was exhibited in The Life of Emperor Qianlong, The Macao Museum of Art, 2002, Catalogue, no. 16. The third type, like the current book, is inscribed with Buddhist sutras and texts. One closely related example is a jade sutra book with aloeswood covers, also mounted in yellow brocade frames and fitted in folding hard-board brocade box, incised and gilt with the Foshuo shi jixiang jing sutra. This example in the Beijing Palace Museum Collection is illustrated in The Imperial Packing Art of Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2007, pp. 132-133.
Emperor Qianlong was known to be a devout Buddhist and regularly copied various sutras as an act of piety. To transcribe a classic Buddhist text onto precious jade plaques, as on the current book, not only exhibits his religious devotion but also flaunts the excessive amount of expensive materials at his disposal to be made into imperial works of art. The current jade book, in essence, captivates the luxury enjoyed by imperial members during the height of the Qing Empire.
The Sutra on the Sayings of the Buddha on The Five Blessings states that believers who lead a righteous life will enjoy the five blessings of longevity, wealth, beauty, good will and wisdom.
Jade books were highly-sumptuous items made only for the most important rituals or investitures of emperors. During the Qianlong period however, a large quantity of jade books were made for the pleasure of the Qianlong Emperor, in part out of his fascination with jades, and in part due to the increase in supply of the material following the successful conquest of Xinjiang area in 1759.
This group of Qianlong jade books bear inscriptions of primarily three different categories. The first is the conferment of special titles to imperial members, such as a celadon jade book documenting the conferment of the title Empress Dowager Chongqing to the Qianlong Emperor's mother in 1771, in the Beijing Palace Museum Collection and illustrated in Life in the Forbidden City of Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2007, no. 19. The second type of jade book records essays or poems by the Qianlong Emperor himself, sometimes to express his views on certain subjects or to commemorate his glorious achievements, such as a white jade book recording the establishment of the Pavilion of Literary Pool which was situated inside the palace to house the Siku Quanshu, 'Complete Collection in Four Treasuries'. This book, also in the Palace Museum Collection, was exhibited in The Life of Emperor Qianlong, The Macao Museum of Art, 2002, Catalogue, no. 16. The third type, like the current book, is inscribed with Buddhist sutras and texts. One closely related example is a jade sutra book with aloeswood covers, also mounted in yellow brocade frames and fitted in folding hard-board brocade box, incised and gilt with the Foshuo shi jixiang jing sutra. This example in the Beijing Palace Museum Collection is illustrated in The Imperial Packing Art of Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2007, pp. 132-133.
Emperor Qianlong was known to be a devout Buddhist and regularly copied various sutras as an act of piety. To transcribe a classic Buddhist text onto precious jade plaques, as on the current book, not only exhibits his religious devotion but also flaunts the excessive amount of expensive materials at his disposal to be made into imperial works of art. The current jade book, in essence, captivates the luxury enjoyed by imperial members during the height of the Qing Empire.
The Sutra on the Sayings of the Buddha on The Five Blessings states that believers who lead a righteous life will enjoy the five blessings of longevity, wealth, beauty, good will and wisdom.