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Lot Essay
Buddhist altar ornaments were made in a variety of materials such as porcelain, precious woods and cloisonné enamel, and complete sets can be found in various Lamaist temples including those in the precincts of the Forbidden City, Beijing, and in the Summer Palace in Chengde. It is exceptionally rare to find a full set of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, Bajixiang, formed entirely of jade but several significant examples constructed from a combination of jade and other materials are known.
A complete set of both the Eight Buddhist Emblems and the Seven Royal Treasures, Qizhenbao, carved from spinach-green jade supported on elaborate inlaid zitan stands are in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 138-140, no. 114 and pp. 142-144, no. 116. A very rare set of seven imperial cloisonné enamel bronze and white jade altar emblems, dating to the Qianlong period, was sold at Christies Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2601. While this set included three of the Seven Treasures and four of the Eight Buddhist Emblems they are similar to the present set in their columnar form, elaborate decoration, and incorporation of white jade.
A number of sets of the Seven Treasures were included in A Special Exhibition of Buddhist Gilt Votive Objects, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995. A set, also carved from spinach jade, is illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 24; compare also nos. 22 and 23 made from gilt-copper; no. 25 of gilt-copper and champlevé enamel; and nos. 26 and 27, inlaid with semi-precious stones.
An official Court portrait of the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722) in his later years, depicts the elderly monarch holding a string of beads, seated behind at a low table arranged with a complete set of the Eight Emblems. See Court Paintings of the Qing Dynasty of the Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1992, pl. 14. This gives an intriguing insight into how these emblems were used at the Imperial court.
A complete set of both the Eight Buddhist Emblems and the Seven Royal Treasures, Qizhenbao, carved from spinach-green jade supported on elaborate inlaid zitan stands are in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 138-140, no. 114 and pp. 142-144, no. 116. A very rare set of seven imperial cloisonné enamel bronze and white jade altar emblems, dating to the Qianlong period, was sold at Christies Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2601. While this set included three of the Seven Treasures and four of the Eight Buddhist Emblems they are similar to the present set in their columnar form, elaborate decoration, and incorporation of white jade.
A number of sets of the Seven Treasures were included in A Special Exhibition of Buddhist Gilt Votive Objects, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995. A set, also carved from spinach jade, is illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 24; compare also nos. 22 and 23 made from gilt-copper; no. 25 of gilt-copper and champlevé enamel; and nos. 26 and 27, inlaid with semi-precious stones.
An official Court portrait of the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722) in his later years, depicts the elderly monarch holding a string of beads, seated behind at a low table arranged with a complete set of the Eight Emblems. See Court Paintings of the Qing Dynasty of the Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1992, pl. 14. This gives an intriguing insight into how these emblems were used at the Imperial court.