The Qianlong Emperor is the "most senior collector in history", and his collection seal, the Shoushan Shitaishi Young Lion Button "Qianlong Royal Treasure", started at SOTHEBY's Spring Auction in Hong Kong for HK$48 million on the morning of April 29, 2022, and finally fell for HK$131 million (excluding commissions) after more than 10 minutes of tug-of-war.
This "Treasure of the Qianlong Imperial View" seal, printed on a surface of 7.8 cm square, printed height of 10.7 cm, using Shoushan stone as a material, the seal button carving into the micro life, in the Qianlong period used in countless ancient calligraphy and paintings, such as two Northern Song Dynasty Fan Kuan", Guo Xi's "Early Spring Map", Wang Ximeng's "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains", Tang Dynasty Li Bai's "Cursive Balcony Posters", Yan Liben's "Step Map" and other masterpieces in art history, all of which are connected by this object.
Fan Kuan's "Journey to the Creek and Mountains"
Wang Mengxi's "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains"
Guo Xi's "Early Spring Diagram"
The jade seal is printed on one masterpiece after another, leaving the mozzie of the years on the printed surface, and the beautiful abrasive marks on the seal text are hundreds of hugs with Danqing, which is the evidence of the emperor's drunken art collection.
The Qianlong Emperor is the most senior collector in Chinese history, he also likes seals, he has a total of more than 1800 seals in his life, of which there are dozens of collection seals, and there are 7 parties to the "Qianlong Imperial Treasure" of the same seal. Because of the diversity and complexity of the calligraphy and painting classics collected in the palace, Qianlong's collection is printed with large and small, square and round, which can be selected and used according to the situation of the work. If the collection is not rich enough, it is meaningless to make so many seals, so many "Qianlong Imperial Treasures", including this work, are the embodiment of the peak state of the imperial court collection in the Qianlong period.
The engraving of the button is exquisite and should be made for the craftsmen who worked between the Kang and Yong dynasties. After Qianlong ascended the throne, he specially selected this treasure and assumed the responsibility of recording the elite of the Inner Province. From the early days of Qianlong's accession to the throne to 1745 (the tenth year of Qianlong), the first Qing Palace calligraphy and painting catalog "Shiqu Baodi" was first compiled and revised, and the printing was frequent.
After Qianlong's death in 1799, this seal was transferred to the Shou Imperial Palace of the Qing Emperors. In the turbulent years of the late Qing Dynasty, Baoxi wandered to Europe, reappeared at Sotheby's in London in 1965, acquired by the collector Dr. Wu Quan, and has been hidden in his home since then until it was auctioned this spring, 57 years after its last appearance.
Dr. Wu Quan
Dr. Wu Quan is one of the few important chinese art collections that still exist in private collections, covering thousands of years of Chinese porcelain, jade carving, bronze, calligraphy and painting, etc., making it stand out from the private Chinese art collections of the mid-20th century.
Opened in 1968 in dr. Wu Quan's mansion and named after his father, Wu Lianbo, the museum is located in the southern Countryside of the British Isles and has over the years been a gathering place for collectors, scholars, VIPs and industry professionals.
Qingyu Dragon "Treasure of Qianlong Imperial View"
Copper dot gold beast button "Qianlong Royal Treasure"
As a true collector, Qianlong's seal has always been known for its preciousness in the art market. In 2010, the "Treasure of Qianlong Royal Treasure" was auctioned for about 100 million yuan; the Qianlong White Jade Imperial Inscription Poem "Emperor Taishang" Yuanxi was auctioned for 161 million yuan in 2011, maintaining the world record for the Qianlong Seal Auction; in 2018, the treasure seal of the bronze-dot gold beast button "Qianlong Royal Treasure" was sold for 110 million yuan. This spring, the transaction price of this side of the "Qianlong Royal Treasure" can fully rank in the top three of the Qianlong Yuxi Auction World Record, which once again proves the market stability of China's top antiques.
Source: Morning News