Palace Treasures: A Collection of Exquisite Cultural Relics from the Palace Museum

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, chrysoberyls, 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, decorations, clothing and jewelry, military equipment, religious and daily necessities, etc., representing the general picture of treasure-making and use in the Qing Palace and showcasing prominent court cultural characteristics. These treasures and cultural relics mainly include daily necessities, headwear, ceremonial items, decorative items, and religious sacrificial items of the emperors and imperial consorts of various dynasties in the Qing Dynasty. A prominent feature is their use as utensils rather than as wealth for collection. In terms of use, they adhere to a strict hierarchical system, which is another feature. Jewelry itself is highly decorative and in short supply, making it extremely valuable. Qing Palace treasures not only use luxurious materials but also represent the highest level of Qing Dynasty craftsmanship in processing and production. This volume collects 222 pieces of Qing Palace treasures and cultural relics, categorized by their uses into rituals, decorations, clothing and jewelry, military equipment, institutional systems, religious, and daily necessities, etc. They reflect all aspects of Qing Palace life and provide important material evidence and rich cultural connotations for understanding and researching the institutional systems, court life, religious culture, and handicraft arts of the Qing Dynasty.