Page 151 - Bonhams FINE CHINESE ART London November 2 2021

A serious student and active practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, the his guest and presented the religious figure with porcelain wares, silk,
Qianlong Emperor commissioned a variety of Tibetan-inspired ritual paintings and Buddhist sculptures. In addition, following the lama’s
implements and sacrificial utensils to furnish the renovated and newly- sudden death in Beijing later in the year, the Emperor established the
built monasteries, temples, chapels and shrines within the Forbidden Pavilion for Rain and Flowers, Yuhua Ge 雨花閣 within the residential
City, the Summer Palace and the Summer Residence at Chengde. quarters of the Forbidden City to honour the religious figure; see
These objects were also often bestowed as presents to the Emperor’s R.W.Dunnell, et al., New Qing Imperial History: The Making of Inner
family and other Court members but also played an essential role in Asian Empire at Qing Chengde, London, 2004, p.22.
the interchange of gifts to honour the religious and diplomatic relations
with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas who came to Chengde to pay An Imperial imitation-gold bowl and cover, impressed Qianlong mark
homage to the Emperor. The Qianlong Emperor forged a particularly and of the period, in the National History Museum, Beijing, is illustrated
strong relation with the Third Panchen Lama (1738–1780). Several in Golden Treasures. Selection of Tibetan Works of art, Beijing, 2001,
records describe the lama’s visit to Beijing in 1780 to partake in the pp.262-263.
Emperor’s 70th birthday celebrations. For the occasion, the Emperor
had the Xumifushou Temple built near the Imperial Summer residence Compare with a fine and extremely rare pair of gold-glazed imitation-
in Chengde, which imitated the features of the Panchen’s monastic archaic-bronze hu vases, Qianlong seal marks and of the period, which
seat in Tibet. The Emperor also appointed the lama as his personal was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 8 April 2011, lot 3009.
spiritual preceptor; he learned the Tibetan language to converse with

FINE CHINESE ART | 149