THE JADE 18TH CENTURY

The poetic inscription on the back of the jade plaque describes an autumn landscape. It was composed by Liang Guozhi (1723-1786), a scholar-official and calligrapher who passed the imperial exam in the thirteenth year of the Qianlong period (1748). With his strategic acumen and scholarly pursuits, Liang rose through the ranks and was praised by the emperor for his intelligence. Liang was appointed a first-rank official and served as the deputy editor of Siku Quanshu (Emperor's Four Treasuries). Upon his death in 1786, he was posthumously bestowed the honorary title, Taizi taibao (The Honorable Tutor to the Crown Prince).