Palace treasures

Author: Xu Qixian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Treasures, a general term for jewelry and gemstones, are generally divided into two categories: one is inorganic treasures, also known as mineral treasures, including metals, diamonds, gemstones, and jade. Metals include gold, silver, copper, etc.; gemstones include rubies, sapphires, emeralds, peridots, green stones, gold-green stones, tourmalines, zircons, spinels, olivines, garnets, quartz, and feldspars, etc.; jade includes jade, jadeite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, and bloodstone, etc. The other category is organic treasures, including pearls, amber, coral, hawksbill, ivory, etc. The over 200 pieces (sets) of Qing Palace treasures and cultural relics collected in this volume are categorized by their uses into rituals, furnishings, clothing and jewelry, military equipment, religious and daily necessities, etc., representing the general picture of the Qing Palace's creation and use of treasures, with outstanding court cultural characteristics. These treasures and cultural relics mainly include daily necessities, headgear and clothing, ritual items, furnishings, and religious sacrificial items of the emperors and imperial consorts of various dynasties in the Qing Dynasty. A prominent feature is that they were used as utensils rather than collected as wealth. Another feature is the strict hierarchical system followed in their use. Jewelry is inherently decorative and scarce, making it extremely valuable. Qing Palace treasures not only use luxurious materials but also represent the highest level of Qing Dynasty craftsmanship in their processing and production. This volume collects 222 pieces of Qing Palace treasures and cultural relics, categorized by their uses into rituals, furnishings, clothing and jewelry, military equipment, rituals and regulations, religious, and daily necessities. They reflect all aspects of Qing Palace life, providing important material evidence and rich cultural connotations for understanding and researching the Qing Palace's rituals and regulations, court life, religious culture, and arts and crafts.