A Chinese Seal, Treasure of Emperor Qianlong
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This green nephrite seal from the Qianlong period is a mark of China’s multi-millennial culture. China, Qianlong Period (1736–1795), square spinach-green nephrite seal surmounted by a lion, the left front paw resting on the wrapped ball, on the reverse, the inscription qin xian zhi bao (“Treasure of the Qianlong emperor, appreciative of talented people”), 7.2x 8.8 x 8.8 cm/ 2.84 x 3.46 x 3.46 in. Estimate: €300,000/400,000 Although often recalled, it bears repeating: Qianlong (1736–1795) is believed to have owned 1,800 seals, a thousand of which are in the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing —which means that about 800 are circulating freely. Each of their
