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Seal of Imperial Sacrifices to Heaven - View 1

The Palace Museum

The Palace Museum
Beijing, China

Made of jasper, this seal features a knob carved in the form of two interconnected dragons. The base is square, while the bottom face is engraved with an inscription of Chinese characters in the seal script. The sides of the seal are inscribed with a poem Rare Since Antiquity (Guxi shuo), which commemorates the Qianlong Emperor's seventieth year of his long life. With gilded intagliated characters, this seal was made in the forty-fifth year of the Qianlong reign (1780); the emperor considered himself as the only wise ruler who had lived into his seventies. He commissioned this seal as a memorial to his greatness and longevity. The Qianlong Emperor was unmistakably ambitious and eager to undertake great effort to build a strong empire. He was independent in his attitude as ruler and was not afraid of showing pride in his achievements.

front view of the item

Details

  • Title: Seal of Imperial Sacrifices to Heaven - View 1
  • Physical Dimensions: base: 12.9×12.9 cm, overall height: 10.8 cm, knob height: 5.2 cm
  • Provenance: Qing imperial collection
  • Type: seals
  • Medium: jasper, with attached yellow tassels
  • Dynasty: Qianlong reign (1736-1795), Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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