Story of an Imperial Brand Name

The artworks are divided by separating plates, and a “Collective treasures” curio shelf for display can also be found inside. The ingenious space design, decorative methods, and use of materials all contribute to make this piece representative of the “hundred-item” curio box during the Qianlong reign.  

Intriguingly, imperial writings by the Jiaqing emperor, the Qianlong emperor’s successor, were also stored inside the box. Their presence suggests that this curio box was reassembled and added to by Jiaqing's imperial court. This curio box reveals a unique tradition in which the Qing court placed great attention on compiling and organizing historical relics and passed them down across generations.

Qijia culture, c. 3 millennium B.C.E.
In ancient times bi disks were ritual objects used to praise the heavens, and represented ultimate authority.     

The Qianlong emperor showed particular interest in this piece, for which he wrote two poems. The poems indicate that he paid great attention to the work’s texture, color, style, and especially its time period. He argued against the general assumption that the disk was made in the Han dynasty, instead suggesting that it was created during the time between the Yu and the Xia dynasties.

Red Sandalwood Curio Box with Bamboo-veneered Decoration
(containing 23 curios pieces, calligraphy albums and painting scrolls)
Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1736-1795)

This curio box best demonstrates the ingenuity of craftsmanship and the imperial display of curios during the Qianlong reign.   

Each differently sized space in the curio box is accordingly fitted with a jade work. The asymmetric bamboo and sandalwood grids were created with refined skill.   

Dual Sack-shaped Lacquer Container with Bamboo and Grass Decoration
(containing 5 jade pieces, and Emperor Qianlong's imperial calligraphy album and painting scroll)
Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1736-1795)

Japanese lacquer boxes were used in various packaging of the Qing court. Antiques were stored within a variety of lacquer boxes.

This lacquer container has two tiers and features dividing plates and tapestry cushions to store artworks. The jade wares were separated by wood-based plates and stored on the upper layer, with plates decorated with Western figures in falangcai enamel paint. Albums of painting and calligraphy by the Qianlong emperor were placed in the bottom layer of the box.

This work was created by Cai Xiang (1012-1067, Song dynasty) in regular script. The fluency of Cai’s writing gives a sense of modesty to this excellent work of calligraphy. With its smooth surface and resilient quality, Paper of Cheng Xin Studio is believed to have been made by the imperial court of the Southern Tang dynasty. According to the Treasured Book of the Stone, this piece of paper was not considered to be Cheng Xin Studio paper, indicating that the Qing court held different opinions regarding this work.

Ming dynasty, Chenghua reign (1465-1487)

This set of two chicken cups from the Chenghua reign (1465-1487, Ming dynasty) came with openwork wood cases made under the authorization of the Qianlong emperor. An imperial poem written in the 41st year of the Qianlong reign (1776) was carved on the case, which documents the journey of the emperor’s connoisseurship. The numbering system produced by the 'Inventory committee of the Qing court' suggests that the cups were originally stored in a curios box located in the Yangxin Hall of the Forbidden City.

According to the Archives of the Imperial Workshops (Huojidang), the seal mark refers to the  "bingsheng" year (1776). The record reveals that an imperial kiln located in Jiangxi Province produced copies of the chicken cups during the same year. 

Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1736-1795)

When compared to the original chicken cups, the copies from the Qianlong reign feature a fuller shape and modified decoration. The motif of a child and chickens was inspired by the story "Jia Chang training fighting chicken” from the Tang dynasty. 

The same imperial poem was carved on the wood cases of both the original cups and Qianlong's copies. Evidence suggests the possibility that the Qianlong emperor took inspiration from the old collection to create new artworks in various styles.