HONG KONG.- The Imperial seal belonging to the fifth Emperor in the Qing dynasty, Jiaqing, will be offered in the Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale, at Bonhams Hong Kong on 4 June. It is estimated at HKD 2,000,000 – 3,000,000.

It belonged to a set of three Imperial seals, with the other two bearing the inscriptions Qinghuige and Yun ri xiang hui ying. The exceptional seal is recorded in the Imperial archives, published by the Palace Museum, Beijing.

Inscribed 'shui mu zhan qing hua' (「水木湛清華」), which translates as ‘Tranquil water and luxuriant trees in the garden', the seal was made specifically to be stored in the Qinghuige, a special Imperial retreat, set in the western part of the Jiuzhouqingyan, a tranquil and scenic island within the celebrated Imperial palaces and gardens complex - the Yuanmingyuan.

Qinghuige, extremely private and secluded, was reserved solely for the use of the Emperor and members of the Imperial family, with special entry permits required for officials and servants.

The Qinghuige, became a favourite location with the Qianlong Emperor (reign 1736-1795), who commissioned paintings of himself within the complex; and with his son, the Jiaqing Emperor who wrote poems and made observations on his time spent there, allowing him precious moments of tranquillity amidst the serene landscape, whilst reflecting on his lifelong duty towards his people.

The Qinghuige was demolished during the early Daoguang reign period (1821-1850), therefore making this important seal, an exceptionally rare surviving Imperial artefact documenting the existence and beauty of the Qinghuige, a personal space of tranquillity cherished by the emperors.

Asaph Hyman, Director of Chinese Art commented: “This Imperial jade seal, safeguarded for many years in an English private collection, is exceptionally rare and of historical, cultural and aesthetic importance.”