Emperor’s “Spirit Tablet” Auctioned for RMB 4.2 Million
An imperial “spirit tablet” was recently auctioned off in Beijing for 4.2 million Chinese dollars. The tablet was for Qinglong Emperor, the fourth monarch of the Qing Dynasty who reigned China from 1735 to1796. A “spirit tablet” is a name tag for an ancestor enshrined in a family temple, which, Chinese traditionally believed, embodies the spirit of the deceased person, and which, if well taken care of, can protect his descendents, bringing them good luck and safety.
The particular tablet had been in the possession of a German family. It is believed that the grandfather of the German owner obtained the item early in the early 20th century when he purchased it from someone who was then in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Forbidden City. The Qing Dynasty was overthrown in 1911; amid the chaos that ensued, many treasured artifacts were smuggled out of the imperial residence and sold secretly.
Qinglong Emperor was one of China’s longest reigning monarchs - 61 years in his case. The emperor could have stayed in the throne a few years long as he did not die till 1799, three years after his abdication; reluctant to surpass his grandfather as the longest reigning emperor, he withdrew from the throne in favor of his son. His grandfather, Kangxi Emperor, was in the throne from 1661 to 1722 for 61 years. Qianlong's reign, like that of his grandfather, was a time of peace, prosperity and strength for China. It was to Qianlong that in 1792 Great Britain dispatched Lord George Macartney as an envoy, in an effort to establish a formal relationship with China. The Qing state at the time was not interested in the proposition, however, and it essentially rejected the Macartney Mission.
Qinglong’s spirit tablet was originally kept in the family temple of the Qing court, which was located next to the Forbidden City itself. While the Forbidden City is now a must-see attraction to for foreign tourists who visit Beijing, the imperial temple itself, now just a small park, receives little attention from Westerners who travel to China; it is instead mostly frequented by local Chinese.
At the auction in Beijing Qianlong's tablet was purchased by a collector in Beijing who said that it's great to bring the tablet back to China and that he intends keep it in the country.
Back to China Notes and News
|
