Authentic Impressions of Precious Seals of the Ming and Qing Imperial Families A RARE COMPILATION BOOK OF IMPERIAL MING AND QING SEAL IMPRESSIONS EARLY 20TH CENTURY, REPUBLICAN PERIOD

consisting of 2 soft-bound volumes containing 358 impressions from original imperial Ming and Qing seals, each accompanied by a transcription, the Ming seals arranged thematically into 15 sections -  the first three devoted to Ming seals of which 46 impressions of seals for the use of the emperor; 38 impressions of seals of a Daoist or Buddhist character and 3 impressions of concubines' (houfei) seals; the Qing section of 271 seals divided into impressions of emperors' seals without the names of specific emperors, impressions of seals associated with specific palaces, impressions of seals of the emperors of the Qing dynasty with the exception of Shunzhi, and the final section devoted to impressions of seals belonging to empresses and concubines

The 358 impressions of imperials seals from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in this two-volume collection, Authentic Impressions of Precious Seals of the Ming and Qing Imperial Families, offers a rare selection of imperial seals from these two dynasties.  Given that the book includes impressions of seals dating to the very end of the Qing dynasty, the book must have been compiled after the Republican period was formed in 1911. Although the 358 impressions represent only a fraction of the total number of surviving Ming and Qing dynasty seals, it is rich in rarely seen seal impressions and has representative character.

MING

The seals are presented thematically in 15 sections, of which the the first three are devoted to Ming seals in the following order: 46 impressions of seals for the use of the emperor; 38 impressions of seals of a Daoist or Buddhist character; 3 impressions of concubines' (houfei) seals.

In the first section, the third of the impressions of Ming emperors' seals bears the legend "Guangyun zhi bao" which is known from other seals that were used by the Xuande emperor (reigned 1426-35) on paintings and calligraphies that he had executed himself, and by the Chenghua emperor (reigned 1465-87) on a New Year's painting in the Palace Museum, Beijing (see La cité interdite, Bejing, 2000, cat. no. 118). Similarly, the fifth impression bears the legend "Qinwen zhi ni" which is known from another seal used on an example of the Xuande emperor's personal correspondence. The ninth and twenty-fourth impressions bear the legend "Wenhuadian bao" which recalls the Chenghua emperor's (reigned 1465-87) use of the formula "Wenhuadian yubi" in his signature to the aforementioned New Year's painting. The eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-third impressions include the name of the Chenghua emperor. The twenty-ninth impression, "Danfu yanji" has an explicitly Daoist character and can probably be attributed to the Jiajing reign (1522-66). The final impression occurs on p. 1/11a and is the famous cipher of the Chongzhen emperor reading "Chongzhen di yu ya." In short, the first section of impressions of imperial seals seems to have been organized chronologically by reign. Whether it includes impressions of seals belonging to all the Ming emperors, however, awaits further study.

In the second section, the later seal impressions of an explicitly Daoist character probably date from the Jiajing reign (1522-66). That emperor was particularly attached to Daoism and to the literary genre of Daoist prayers and praises known as qingci. Since the Jiajing emperor sought to suppress Buddhism, the Buddhist seal impressions preceding the Daoist ones, as well as those promoting religious syncretism, must date from other reigns.

The third section consists of two impressions of seals of Ming empresses and one of a Ming imperial concubine. The most important impression of the three is from a very large seal belonging to an Empress Zhangsheng.  It should also be noted that this section includes one Qing seal out of order, on page 1/16a.

QING

The Qing seals are more numerous, 271. The first section is impressions of emperors' seals without the names of specific emperors, then impressions of seals associated with specific palaces. The following nine sections are devoted to impressions of seals of the emperors of the Qing dynasty with the exception of Shunzhi. The final section is devoted to impressions of seals belonging to empresses and concubines, most belonging to the Empress Dowager Cixi.

The 37 non-specific imperial seal impressions are undoubtedly all datable.  But they may have been possibly separated because they may have been used by more than one emperor. Among them are copies of Ming imperial seals such as the "Guangyun zhibao" impression on p. 1/32a (compare with the Chenghua seal on the aforementioned New Year's painting).

The locations represented in the section of 39 impressions of palace seals that have been identified include:

Forbidden City outer court: Wenhuadian, Wenyuange, Wuyingdian

Forbidden City inner court: Qianqinggong, Minqinggong, Xueshitang, Yangxingdian, Huangjidian, Ningshougong, Zhibuzuzhai, Tihedian, Sanxitang, Chuxiugong, Leshoutang, Fuwangge, Taijidian, Tongdaotang, Chonghuagong, Changchungong, Yangxindian

Rehe: Bishushanzhuang

Yuanmingyuan: (Weiyushushi, out of order among the Forbidden City inner court palace seals) , Yuanmingyuan, Ji'entang

The 14 impressions associated with locations that remain unidentified may turn out to respect broadly the same sequence of locations.

In the nine sections of seal impressions organized by reign, the breakdown is as follows: Kangxi 21 (one seal out of place among the palace seals, p. 1/42b), Yongzheng 26, Qianlong 42, Jiaqing 36, Daoguang 7, Xianfeng 8 (one is out of order, among the Jiaqing seals, p. 2/64a), Tongzhi 8, Guangxu 4, Xuantong 7.

One impression (vol. 2, p. 45b) may be matched to an existing Kangxi sandalwood seal in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, whose imperfections it shares exactly. That seal has been published in China: The Three Emperors, the Royal Academy, London, 2006, cat. no. 123. The large number of impressions of Yongzheng's seals, dating from both before and after his succession to the throne, is significant because there are relatively less known Yongzheng seals.  The Qianlong seal impressions, like the Yongzheng ones, include seals from before the emperor's ascent to the throne (p. 2/54a). Among the Qianlong imperial seals represented is a version of the enormous "Taishanghuangdi zhi bao" seal (2/58a-b). Also striking is the large number of Jiaqing seals, almost as numerous as the Qianlong ones.

Finally, of the 36 impressions of empress and concubine seals many come from seals belonging to Cixi at various points in her career, including an impression taken from a version of the enormous "Huangtaihou yubi zhi bao" seal (2/72a-b: fold-out). Among the non-Cixi impressions are two taken from seals of Jinfei (1874-1924, 2/70a) and Zhenfei (1876-1900, 2/75a), concubines of the Guangxu emperor. Also a notable inclusion in this section is an impression reading "Zhaozu Yuanhuangdi zhi bao." Zhaozu Yuanhuangdi was the posthumous name given in 1648 to Monge Temur (died 1433) who was claimed as the first ancestor of the Qing ruling house. Perhaps the fact that the seal is included in this section means that it belonged to Cixi, but given that a number of impressions in the book are out of order, one cannot be certain.