Page 42 - Chinese Jade From A European Collection , Christie's, HK May 28, 2021

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Buddhist altar ornaments were made in a variety of materials such as ଍⁒प஋㫌ݨ♎༾⁒卿ᝳ༾≡Ǯ⸥ⱤǮ഍⸌ǮᯧにǮ༾㖥Ǯۃ⸌Ǯ⏎㧩Ǯ
porcelain, precious woods and cloisonné enamel, and complete sets 㫐㷚ǯӴᐂ⸥≓ᆨᄠ卿ᄓᄠ㚒㱈㇡⸥≓⡠Ӭॶǯ
can be found in various Lamaist temples including those in the precincts
of the Forbidden City, Beijing, and in the Summer Palace in Chengde. דᘰݨ༾㇦ᙻഅ♎ឬ㐏卿ൈℱǮ≢ǮណǮᓌ⢵⇈⇶✙ǯ᳖༈ᙇࢦᄠדల
It is exceptionally rare to find a full set of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, ԋᝬഌ⎏㫛Ɽ㨌ݤལᝳഅ⢑㠩⫭⇈⇶ݨ༾؊ഠᙻ؊ᡪӳ卿㇦Ƕ᳖༈⻦۔
Bajixiang, formed entirely of jade but several significant examples דᘰᙔ⁒Ƿ卿࢈՗卿 ჺ卿எ‸ Ǯ Ǯ ǯֿ໭ᙃ⎏ℱㅳ
constructed from a combination of jade and other materials are known.
ݨ༾؊଍ߺࢦߎ☮⧎ǯᎰഩ⎏׾ຽ㇦࢈՗ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦Ӭ⢑᳖ջ┡ℱ㙄
A complete set of both the Eight Buddhist Emblems and the Seven Royal ⡻᨞ᄠݨम▼卿ⶬ㢙ᙻǶᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦ᙔ⁒Ⅷ৅ݥ㫀Ƿ卿ℱ଍卻Ӵ卼卿
Treasures, Qizhenbao, carved from spinach-green jade supported on 㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿 㮰卿எ‸ ⽚ǯऱᝧՔⶬ㢙᳖ջ┡ℱ㙄⡻᨞
elaborate inlaid zitan stands are in the collection of the Palace Museum, ᄠӮⅧ卿㇦ 㮰卿எ‸ ⽚ǯऔजᬘ㖅㲞ᳰצ೥ᇑ ჺ
Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
Museum, Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 138-140, no. 114 and ᝲ ᚚᐽ㐈⎏᳖Գ㪏㠩⫭ᓌ⢵⇈⇶ူ⎊ℱӮⅧࣿݨम▼⢑卿ᐽ৅
pp. 142-144, no. 116. A very rare set of seven imperial cloisonné enamel ⽚ǯݯⵖ㿃⎏㰍ᡟࣿ⸥Ɽ㵶⯓⎏ᆨ߰⯝ទᐽ৅⏟ַǯ
bronze and white jade altar emblems, dating to the Qianlong period,
was sold at Christies Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2601. While this
set included three of the Seven Treasures and four of the Eight Buddhist
Emblems they are similar to the present set in their columnar form,
elaborate decoration, and incorporation of white jade.
A number of sets of the Seven Treasures were included in A Special
Exhibition of Buddhist Gilt Votive Objects, National Palace Museum,
Taipei, 1995. A set, also carved from spinach jade, is illustrated in the
Catalogue, no. 24; compare also nos. 22 and 23 made from gilt-copper;
no. 25 of gilt-copper and champlevé enamel; and nos. 26 and 27, inlaid
with semi-precious stones.
An official Court portrait of the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722) in his
later years, depicts the elderly monarch holding a string of beads,
seated behind at a low table arranged with a complete set of the Eight
Emblems. See Court Paintings of the Qing Dynasty of the Collection in
the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1992, pl. 14. This gives an intriguing insight
into how these emblems were used at the Imperial court.

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