.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
A comparable spinach-green jade dragon seal, currently part of the collection at the Palace Museum in Beijing (Gu00166806), is inscribed with the same characters Chi Ming Zhi Bao ('Seal of Administrative Order') both in Chinese and Manchu. That dragon seal is one of the twenty-five imperial cardinal seals displayed in the Jiao Tai Dian (Hall of Union) of the Imperial Palace, personally selected by Emperor Qianlong. Carefully preserved in the Hall of Union, the seals were housed within a cabinet. Each of these seals symbolized the emperor's authority and served specific purposes, such as appointing ministers, conducting sacrificial rituals, or granting awards. The Chi Ming Zhi Bao seal was specifically used to sign imperial edicts.
In sequence, the twenty five cardinal seals are: Da Qing shouming zhi bao (‘The Great Qing dynasty seal of the Mandate of Heaven’), Huangdi fengtian zhi bao (‘Seal of the emperor granted with the Mandate of Heaven’), Da Qing si Tianzi bao (‘Treasure of the succession of the Son of Heaven’), two Huangdi zhi bao (‘Seal of the emperor’), Tianzi zhi bao (‘Seal of the Son of Heaven’), Huangdi zunqin zhi bao (‘Emperor’s seal of respect for parents’), Huangdi qinqin zhi bao (‘Emperor’s seal of respect for imperial family’), Huangdi xing bao (‘Seal of the benevolent administration of the emperor’), Huangdi xin bao (‘Seal of prestige of the emperor’), Tianzi xing bao (‘Seal of prestige of the Son of Heaven’), Tianzi xin bao (‘Seal of prestige of the Son of Heaven’), Jingtian qinmin zhi bao (‘Seal of revering Heaven and serving thy people’), Zhigao zhi bao (‘Seal of instruction’), Chi Ming zhi bao (‘Seal of administrative order’), Chuixun zhi bao (‘Seal of propagating moral standards’), Ming de zhi bao (‘Seal of honouring virtuous people’), Qinwen zhi xi (‘Seal of valuing literature’), Biaozhang jingshi zhi bao (‘Seal of esteeming classical books and historical records’), Xunshou tianxia zhi bao (‘Seal of imperial inspection of the realm’), Taozui anmin zhi bao (‘Seal of punishment and peace’), Zhiyu liushi zhi bao (‘Seal of control of the national forces’), Chizheng wanbang zhi bao (‘Seal of pronouncement for foreign states’), Chizheng wanmin zhi bao (‘Seal of proclamation for the people’) and Guangyun zhi bao (‘Seal of the grand destiny’).
In sequence, the twenty five cardinal seals are: Da Qing shouming zhi bao (‘The Great Qing dynasty seal of the Mandate of Heaven’), Huangdi fengtian zhi bao (‘Seal of the emperor granted with the Mandate of Heaven’), Da Qing si Tianzi bao (‘Treasure of the succession of the Son of Heaven’), two Huangdi zhi bao (‘Seal of the emperor’), Tianzi zhi bao (‘Seal of the Son of Heaven’), Huangdi zunqin zhi bao (‘Emperor’s seal of respect for parents’), Huangdi qinqin zhi bao (‘Emperor’s seal of respect for imperial family’), Huangdi xing bao (‘Seal of the benevolent administration of the emperor’), Huangdi xin bao (‘Seal of prestige of the emperor’), Tianzi xing bao (‘Seal of prestige of the Son of Heaven’), Tianzi xin bao (‘Seal of prestige of the Son of Heaven’), Jingtian qinmin zhi bao (‘Seal of revering Heaven and serving thy people’), Zhigao zhi bao (‘Seal of instruction’), Chi Ming zhi bao (‘Seal of administrative order’), Chuixun zhi bao (‘Seal of propagating moral standards’), Ming de zhi bao (‘Seal of honouring virtuous people’), Qinwen zhi xi (‘Seal of valuing literature’), Biaozhang jingshi zhi bao (‘Seal of esteeming classical books and historical records’), Xunshou tianxia zhi bao (‘Seal of imperial inspection of the realm’), Taozui anmin zhi bao (‘Seal of punishment and peace’), Zhiyu liushi zhi bao (‘Seal of control of the national forces’), Chizheng wanbang zhi bao (‘Seal of pronouncement for foreign states’), Chizheng wanmin zhi bao (‘Seal of proclamation for the people’) and Guangyun zhi bao (‘Seal of the grand destiny’).