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Qing Imperial Palace Mental Cultivation Hall: Vessel |
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Qing Imperial Palace Mental Cultivation Hall: Vessel |
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Qing Imperial Palace Mental Cultivation Hall: Vessel
CHINA, Beijing; Qing dynasty (1644–1911), dated 1780; Gilt silver and red garnet; H: 16.4 cm; National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
This vessel was kept in Mental Cultivation Hall of the Qing Imperial Palace. It was a gift to Lobsang Palden Yeshe, the Sixth Panchen Lama, from Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736-1795) in 1780. Standing on a Sumeru base, the ovoid vessel is decorated with enamel in a red design on a dark green background. The base, body, and lid have floral designs in red with gilt stems and leaves. The five-petal flowers are embedded with red garnets, and there are gilt patterns in between the main motifs. The base has gilt lotus petals, and the lid has a lotus bud knob embedded with red garnets supported by a disc.
There is a small container within the vessel with an inscription in Chinese, Mongolian, Manchu, and Tibetan explaining its origin. |