Lot 1332
  • 1332

A RARE IMPERIAL PRAJNAPARAMITA SUTRA JADE BOOK TOGETHER WITH ITS CARVED ZITAN BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

Estimate
4,500,000 - 6,000,000 HKD
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Description

comprising four square white jade plaques of translucent celadon white tone, the sandalwood covers carved with scrolling lotus blooms, the front cover inscribed with the title Banruo poluomido xinjing, the jade plaques finely incised in meticulous detail and gilt with text written in kaishu from the Prajnaparamita sutra, each folio bound opposite its derived rubbing, all carefully mounted and framed on yellow brocade, with its original carved rectangular zitan box and cover, the cover carved with pairs of confronting archaistic kui dragons and inlaid in silver-wire with the title Xinjing, and the box resting on a four short feet carved with archaistic scrollwork, with yellow silk-lined interiors

Provenance

Removed from the Yuanmingyuan, Beijing, 1860. 
From the collection of a French nobleman, who acquired the piece in Beijing in the late 19th century, when he served as the acting ambassador. 
Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 2004, lot 988.

Condition

As visible in the catalogue, there is wear and tearing to the yellow silk lining the box and cover, as expected for a piece of this type and age. The box and cover however are in very good condition overall, with only minor expected age cracks. There has been a split in the front and back of the album, which has been restuck. Otherwise, it is in very good condition overall. There is expected wear to the pages and to the yellow silk, and some general wear to the rubbing. The gilding has been very well preserved.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Qianlong's Prajnaparamita Sutra Jade Book
Guo Fuxiang
Department of Palace History
The Palace Museum, Beijing

When studying the history of jade books, one finds that in spite of its long history, not many have survived. It was during Qianlong's reign that there was a revival of jade book making. This was mainly due to Qianlong's initiative and secondly to the increase in the supply of the raw material - jade. The majority of jade books made during Qianlong's reign contained the emperor's poems, however there are examples of books containing Buddhist scriptures as well. Buddhist scripture jade books usually combine text and drawings. The present jade book, is carved with the text from the Xinjing or 'Heart Sutra' in Qianlong's handwriting.

This jade book comprises of four jade plaques, each plaque finely incised in gilt with drawings and text. The front cover of the book is carved with the portrait of Prajnaparamita, while the back is inscribed with the characters 'Banruo Poluomido Xinjing' in Qianlong's handwriting. The following pages contain text from the Prajnaparamita Sutra. The fourth plaque contains the drawing of a vajra. One side of the book has the jade plaque while the other has the ink-rubbing of the text and drawings. 

The jade plaques and the rubbings are placed in a frame mounted with yellow brocade. The book has a cover made of sandalwood which is carved with scrolling lotus blooms and incised in the center with the eight-characters 'Banruo Poluomido Xinjing' in lishu. The complete jade book is then placed in a zitan box and cover decorated with pairs of confronting archaistic kui dragons, and the centre of the rectangular box inlaid in silver with the title Xinjing (Prajnaparamita Sutra) in lishu. In its form and style the present jade book is typical of imperial jade books.

The 'Banruo Poluomido Xinjing' is an abridged version of the Prajnaparamita Sutra and is regarded as one of the shortest and most popular versions among the Buddhist scriptures. It contains the essence of the complete six-hundred scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism and is a text read by Buddhist followers in the morning and in the evenings. There are several translations of the 'Banruo Poluomido Xinjing', with the most popular one by Jiu Mou Lou Shi of the Qin dynasty and the other by the monk Xuan Zhang of the Tang dynasty. Xuan Zhang's translation is especially easy to understand and was favoured by the Qing emperors. 

During the Qing dynasty, from Kangxi's reign, Buddhist texts were used for prayers and blessings during special Buddhist festivals, birthday celebrations and important annual celebrations. The Prajnaparamita Sutra was possibly one of the most copied sutras of the time. For example, the Kangxi emperor copied this sutra to express his blessing for his grandmother. When he reached the age of fifty, in the 42nd year of his reign (equivalent to 1703 A.D.), The Emperor Kanxi started copying the sutra to calm himself from the daily anxieties of governing. For the next twenty years, he copied a section of the sutra on regular basis, on the first and fifteenth day of every month, and on special Buddhist festivals. Even when he didn't feel well and was not able to write on a certain day he made sure to make it up when he got better. According to archival records, in the 9th year of Qianlong's reign, there were over 420 volumes of the sutra kept in the palace written by the Emperor Kangxi.

The Qianlong Emperor, who was enthroned at the age of 25, followed his grandfather in copying the sutra on regular basis. He also copied a section of the sutra without fail on the first day of the New Year, on the eight day of the fourth month and on special Buddhist festivals each year. From the 40th year of his reign he started copying the sutra even more frequently, and the total number of copies by him soon exceeded that of his grandfather.

Qianlong ordered the making of jade books so that his writing would be preserved for future generations. With the pacification of the Hui people in Xinjiang during his reign, the jade workshops were able to secure good quality jade from Hetian and thereby satisfy the emperor's wish for jade artifacts. Under his rule, the number of jade books carved with his poems and writings had significantly increased. Jade books were either made by artisans working in the Palace Workshop belonging to the Neiwufu, in the jade workshops of Suzhou under imperial orders, or in the jade workshops belonging to the Huai and Changlu Salt Administrations. Jade books were also offered as tribute items to the emperor.

The present Prajnaparamita Sutra is a typical example of jade books of the Qianlong period. After the emperor had written the text, a suitable piece of jade was selected by the workshop located in the Ruyi Guan for the making of a jade book. After the jade book was completed, it was sent with the emperor's original copy of the sutra to the Palace. A copy of the rubbing was also attached for the emperor's examination and approval. If the emperor approved the book, an artist working in the Mao Qin Hall was chosen to complete the gilding of the text. Then the book was mounted and a wooden box made for storing it. Wooden boxes often contained inlaid decoration. The jade book with its box was then presented to the emperor.

Jade books made during Qianlong's reign can be divided into the following three categories: 1. written by the emperor 2. written by a prince 3. written by an official. Among the three categories, those inscribed with the emperor's handwriting is naturally of the highest quality and value. The present jade book therefore ranks amongst the highest quality jade books. It is also of extremely fine workmanship. Furthermore, although the jade plaques are small (width 3.8 cm and length 4.2cm) they contain over 260 characters. The characters are extremely small yet they are precisely carved and can be clearly seen. They vividly display the free flowing style of the emperor's handwriting. This in itself is a remarkable achievement. Furthermore, each plaque is about 1-2 mm thick. The craftsmen working with this very thin and light material had to be extremely careful not to apply too much pressure or break the plaque.

Amongst all the Qianlong jade books I have seen so far, this book is possibly the smallest in size and can be called a 'pocket-size' book. However, in its craftsmanship and quality it exceeds many of the books available. Holding it in one's hand it is truly difficult to let go.