御書心經 (Yushu Xinjing, "Written by the Emperor: The Sutra of the Heart of Great Wisdom"), collection of six pale celadon jade plates, China, silk plates decorated with flower scrolls on a yellow background, jade plates finely incised then gilded on both sides, framed by yellow silk, the collection beginning with an engraving of Guanyin holding the lustral water vase and a willow branch, followed by the sutra and ending with the guardian Weituo, seal 乾隆宸翰 (Qianlong Chen Han, "Written by Emperor Qianlong"), date 乾隆癸酉上元 (Qianlong guiyou shangyuan, corresponding to the year 1753 during the Lantern Festival), seal 蓮華室 (Lianhua shi, "Lotus Studio") or 荑蕘堂 (Tirao tang, "Tirao office"), 16x7.5 cm (jade plates, on view), 20.5x10.5 cm (collection). The Qianlong emperor was renowned, among other things, for his great artistic culture, his taste for jade objects and his devotion to Buddhism. During his reign, the emperor piously copied numerous sutras. Some of them were then engraved on jade plates by craftsmen, who copied the emperor's handwriting.

Provenance: Brigitte Mavromichalis collection

Similar works featuring a sutra, dated Qianlong, were sold at: Sotheby's Paris, June 12, 2013, lot 182; Sotheby's, Hong Kong, October 9, 2007, lot 1332; Sotheby's Hong Kong, May 2, 2005, lot 523; Sotheby's, Hong Kong, October 31, 2004, lot 6. Another piece, probably dating from the 18th century, is in the Chester Beatty, Dublin, inv. n°C 1002.

An album embroidered on silk, dated Qianlong, showing the same sûtra and the same deities, bearing the date of the New Year in 1753 and the same seals as our work, is in the Imperial Palace Museum, Beijing, inv. no. 00072915. The calligraphy is also very similar

御制青白玉心經(般若波羅蜜多心經)玉冊 錦繡書衣簽題: 御書心經 共六片長方形雙面行書填金(描金)玉版 每頁玉版以黃絹鑲邊 首頁玉片:觀音菩薩像，手持水瓶和柳枝，末頁: 護法韋馱尊天菩薩 書寫日期: 乾隆癸酉上元 *1753 印: 乾隆宸翰，荑蕘堂還是蓮華室

御書心經 (Yushu Xinjing, "Written by the Emperor: The Sutra of the Heart of Great Wisdom"), collection of six pale celadon jade plates, China, silk plates decorated with flower scrolls on a yellow background, jade plates finely incised then gilded on both sides, framed by yellow silk, the collection beginning with an engraving of Guanyin holding the lustral water vase and a willow branch, followed by the sutra and ending with the guardian Weituo, seal 乾隆宸翰 (Qianlong Chen Han, "Written by Emperor Qianlong"), date 乾隆癸酉上元 (Qianlong guiyou shangyuan, corresponding to the year 1753 during the Lantern Festival), seal 蓮華室 (Lianhua shi, "Lotus Studio") or 荑蕘堂 (Tirao tang, "Tirao office"), 16x7.5 cm (jade plates, on view), 20.5x10.5 cm (collection). The Qianlong emperor was renowned, among other things, for his great artistic culture, his taste for jade objects and his devotion to Buddhism. During his reign, the emperor piously copied numerous sutras. Some of them were then engraved on jade plates by craftsmen, who copied the emperor's handwriting.

Provenance: Brigitte Mavromichalis collection

Similar works featuring a sutra, dated Qianlong, were sold at: Sotheby's Paris, June 12, 2013, lot 182; Sotheby's, Hong Kong, October 9, 2007, lot 1332; Sotheby's Hong Kong, May 2, 2005, lot 523; Sotheby's, Hong Kong, October 31, 2004, lot 6. Another piece, probably dating from the 18th century, is in the Chester Beatty, Dublin, inv. n°C 1002.

An album embroidered on silk, dated Qianlong, showing the same sûtra and the same deities, bearing the date of the New Year in 1753 and the same seals as our work, is in the Imperial Palace Museum, Beijing, inv. no. 00072915. The calligraphy is also very similar

御制青白玉心經(般若波羅蜜多心經)玉冊 錦繡書衣簽題: 御書心經 共六片長方形雙面行書填金(描金)玉版 每頁玉版以黃絹鑲邊 首頁玉片:觀音菩薩像，手持水瓶和柳枝，末頁: 護法韋馱尊天菩薩 書寫日期: 乾隆癸酉上元 *1753
印: 乾隆宸翰，荑蕘堂還是蓮華室

Overall wear to the surfaces

Boards:

The paper where the title is is detaching a few at the corners. Small tears on the top edge

Some loose threads

Plaques:

A few scratches

Some natural veins

Wear of the gilding in some places (visible layer underneath). The gilding has also "scattered" in some areas

There appears to be a layer of copper-coloured lacquer under the gilding

The second plate (from the Chinese reading direction, from right to left) can be removed from the book. A small cardboard plate at the top of the page is removable, allowing the plate to be removed. All the other plates are inserted using the same system; however, the other small removable plates have been glued in place with small dots of glue. We therefore did not attempt to remove the other plates.

This removable plate has been tested by GGTL Laboratories, Geneva, who confirm that it is nephrite jade

Weight of this plate: 117g

The plates are very thin, around 2-3 mm, and relatively transparent

Some nicks, notably a vertical one on the Qianlong mark (seal)

A few black traces

Some discreet glue traces to the areas between the jade and the book frame

Pages:

Small lack at bottom centre between two plaques (plaque 3 and 4)

A few black traces