Page 102 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

Fig. 2 album of Heart Sutra by the Qianlong emperor
© the Collection of the palace museum, Beijing.
圖二 清高宗 御筆菩提葉箋心經並題句冊
© 故宮博物院 北京

balanced on the yellow paper. the illustrations of the Buddha size and then meticulously glued together. the sheets are
and Weituo are sensitively rendered in an unusual half-length not all of the same length however, and therefore, the total
format that serves to make them appear bigger. the books number of leaves they can be folded into varies, from one
are opening with the depiction of the Buddha in voluminous to nine. But careful calculation and coordination ensured no
robes, his expression compassionate and two fingers of his single sheet was folded into more than nine leaves, as the
right hand holding a lotus flower at the height of his ear, as number ‘nine’, according to ancient Chinese philosophy,
a symbol of the transmission of Buddha’s teachings; while represents the highest numeral and was associated with
a portrait of the celestial guardian deity Weituo, or skanda, the emperor. a small imperial yellow label, adhered to the
carrying a sword, is typically placed at the end of the sutra top left corner of one of the sheets, is found on the reverse
as he is revered as protector of the Buddha’s teachings, his side of each volume. one label is inscribed with the Chinese
face expressing steadfast determination. a tibetan prayer character for ‘nine’ and the other with ‘five’. each number,
om ah hum is inscribed in cinnabar on the reverse side of interestingly, corresponds to the total number of leaves
each drawing, signifying that the sutra was consecrated. the within the sheet. Columns were also prepared on the paper
‘eight Buddhist emblems’, each supported on an elaborate to guide the emperor in writing. each spread was made with
baroque lotus arrangement adorned with ribbons, reflect the nine equally spaced columns, which were produced not just
exuberant love of ornamentation characteristic of any work with the aid of rulers, but also minutely positioned pin holes.
of art done to imperial order during the Qianlong reign. Barely visible to the naked eyes, four minutely positioned
pin holes were first pierced to define the corners, and pairs
every detail in the production of this sutra reflects the of equally spaced pin holes mark the vertical columns, all of
supremacy of imperial quality. the dyed-paper used for
writing was made in the imperial workshops to imitate the which were then connected by faintly-drawn lines.
highly precious paper, Jinsushan cangjingzhi (sutra paper no expense was spared when it came to the binding and
from the Jinsu mountain), commissioned by the Jinsu encasing of the two volumes, for which a superb gold-
temple in Zhejiang province during the northern song ground brocade with multi-colored five-clawed dragons and
dynasty (960-1127). Forty-two sheets of such paper were longevity wishes was chosen, together with red-stained ivory
used for this sutra, each neatly folded into leaves of identical tags carved with dragon motifs. In addition to the present lot,

100 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art