Chinese Imperial Seals

The Chinese Emperor Qianlong lived from 1711 to 1799 AD.  His life is noted by several achievements.  One of the most memorable is his contribution to Imperial Seals during the time of the great Qing dynasty.  Qianlong was the fourth emperor in this noteworthy line.  He is still famous throughout the world as a accomplished ruler with much ambition.  Consequently, he left a compelling legacy for the world to see.  Qianlong helped to create a prosperous time during his reign of more than sixty years.  He was the longest reigning emperor in China's history.

Qianlong was a fervent artist and an aggressive collector too.  He spent much time and personal energy in this expression of his love for art.  However, to properly understand the court art of this period of history, one must probe more deeply into the brilliant thoughts and life experiences of this important emperor himself.  The popular "imperial seal" provides a small window into the unique mind of Qianglong.... and into the historic world of the past!

Imperial seals which were made during this era took on several familar characteristics.  The first characteristic of the Qianlong seals is that they were made in large quanities.  Different materials were also made to construct them.  The Qianlong emperor commissioned more than 1,800 seals during his lifetime.  This large amount had never been heard of before!  Qianlong imperial seals were made of materials like bronze, jade, stone, crystal, agate, ivory, bamboo, amber, and clay.  However, stone and jade seals make up the majority of the production.  The imperial court closely managed the quantity of these official emblems of political power.

Harlan Urwiler

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