Gugong Palace treasures: Luxurious items now on display at Moscow Kremlin Museums

The Qing dynasty that ruled between 1644 and 1912 transformed China into one of the world’s main cultural centres. That was the period of Chinese literature masterpieces, including Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber (1791) and the appearance of Peking opera as well as aesthetic standards for making and consuming food and tea. The Qianlong Emperor’s rule (1711–1799) was not only the high point of this era but also the beginning of its decline.

The new exhibition at the Moscow Kremlin Museums is a place to see magnificently detailed portraits of the emperor together with his personal belongings, insignia, ceremonial attire as well as items that belonged to the ruler’s confidants. Treasures from the Palace Museum exhibition has over 100 exhibits from the Palace Museum in Beijing on display. The exhibition will be on until 30 May.

The Qianlong Emperor’s portrait in ceremonial attire

The picturesque scroll depicts the Qianlong Emperor later in life. The emperor ruled between 1736 and 1796. The blood-shedding conquests of the past significantly expanded the Chinese territory and let the emperor feel like a true king of the world. However, his future holds abdication. Qianlong left the throne on purpose. He did not want to rule longer than his glorious grandfather, Kangxi, who ruled for 61 years.

Qianlong is staring directly at us as he sits on a ‘dragon throne’. This is a typical official portrait for the Qing dynasty. The emperor’s portrait is depicted with great precision and attention to proportions and his anatomy. The picture is extremely realistic as the artist wanted to illustrate a true likeness not only of the emperor’s appearance but also his character, too.

Light and shadow convey the texture of the emperor’s silk attire. Western European influence is apparent in the artist’s attempt to show the perspective in the carpet and the throne. The artist is unknown since he was not allowed to sign the scroll.

Emperor’s throne

This is a throne from one of the throne rooms in the Gugong Palace. The Qianlong Emperor would sit on this facing south. On both sides of the pedestal with steps there would be incense burners in the shape of the mythical creature, luduan. Another pair of incense burners was called xiangtong. Finally, the composition was completed with two crane statues on either side.

The wooden frame of the throne was made of zitan wood (most likely, it is mahogany sandalwood, or Chinese rosewood). A wide seat with a smooth board of nanmu (Chinese laurel) is surrounded with a back and two armrests. The shape of the back of the throne resembles a three-sided folding screen. The centres of the back and armrests are decorated with glossy panels made of red tihong lacquer and decorated with carved ornaments depicting three dragons, clouds and the sea. The armrests are decorated with the images of dragons chasing a pearl, clouds, earth and water.

The smooth wooden fringes of the panels are decorated with strips depicting a one-legged dragon, kui, and the ‘shou’ hieroglyph that means ‘longevity.’ The throne stands on cambered legs that are supported by a rectangular frame. The bottoms of the legs resemble horse hooves.

Incense burners shaped like luduan

In ancient Chinese mythology, luduan is a benevolent creature that can travel 18,000 li (around 9,000 km) in a day. It understands all languages and knows everything about what happens far away. Luduan protects the emperor’s life and accompanies only wise and enlightened rulers. A pair of luduans traditionally stands on both sides of the emperor’s throne to emphasise the monarch’s wisdom and enlightenment.

The luduans on display are holding their heads up very high and have massive paws stomping on squirmy serpentines. Their entire surface is decorated using the cloisonne enamel technique. On a blue background, the chanzhi ornament (intertwined branches of plants and flowers) stretches from the paws to the head as well as curly clouds. Each creature carried a heavy bell on its chest that says “Made during the Qianlong’s rule.”

Chaopao, the emperor’s ceremonial attire

The blue robe is one of the ceremonial attires from the Qing era. The ruler would put it on for rituals of sacrifice at the Celestial Temple that also has a blue dome. The robe was intended to be worn specifically for praying for rain, the sacrifice ritual that the Qing emperors would conduct themselves and during which they kowtowed to the ground to pray for the sort of weather that would be good for the harvest. The ritual goes back to the agricultural traditions of ancient China and their simple philosophy of ideas about the divinity of power and the connection between nature and humans.

The Qianlong Emperor’s cup and saucer

This gorgeous tea set made of gold and decorated with enamel was owned by the emperor himself. The cup and saucer have special markings on them saying “Made at the highest order of Qianlong.”

The top part of the handles of the cup are decorated with two carved gold flower buds opening to reveal white pearls. The surface of the cup is covered with enameled floral ornaments of intertwining branches and flowers. A light blue strip on the edge of the cup is decorated with another ornament depicting kui the one-legged dragon who is playing with a pearl. The edge of the saucer is decorated with the flowers of the meihua plum blossoms, lotuses, orange day-lilies and peonies.

A Message from Serene Spring scroll

The scroll depicts the Qianlong Emperor when he was young and also when he was older as he enjoys the view of meihua blossoming in a bamboo forest. This work of art is inspired by happy sentiments. The blossom symbolises spring, hope for the better, renewal and continuity. The figures are particularly distinct on a blue background. The faces are quite realistic thanks to the painter’s smooth strokes and clear composition. This expressiveness was rare among the Qing palace artists.

The scroll was never signed by its creator. However, the Qianlong Emperor’s poem inscribed later in the right hand top corner says that the scroll was painted by Lang Shining (1688–1766), a prominent missionary and court artist. His real name was Giuseppe Castiglione. The Milan-born Italian studied art when he was young and later joined the Jesuits. He arrived in China with a Christian mission at the end of Kangxi’s rule and became a court artist during the reign of Kangxi’s son, the Yongzheng Emperor. His main works were created during the Qianlong’s rule who was very fond of Lang Shining.

His art is a harmonious fusion of Oriental and Western styles. He uses Western European techniques such as distant and close-up perspective that meet with Chinese paints, tools and aesthetics.

Women’s shoes

These shoes are an example of Manchurian women’s footwear. Unlike Chinese women, it was not typical for the Manchus to stop their feet from growing by binding them up.

The platform-soled shoes have slightly pointed raised toes in the shape of phoenixes. The top of the shoes is made of dark blue satin and embroidered with a winding stem of plants, flowers and leaves. A layer of green leather divides the top part of the shoe and the platform. The latter is made out of wood and covered with starched cotton.

Floral hair pin

The hair pin used to be on display at the Chu Xiu Gong Palace (“a chamber of beauties”) built for the emperor’s concubines. This exhibit is an exquisite combination of materials and shaped like a long stemmed flower, typically used by court ladies to decorate their hair. The petals are made of carved and polished pieces of pink tourmaline while the stamens are made of small pearls. At the heart of the flower there is a large yellow round tourmaline. The flower is adorned with tiny buds carved out of sapphires and rubies. The leaves are made of thin pieces of polished jadeite called “Guangdong plates.” At the bottom of the flower there are common kingfisher’s feathers.

Baofu vase

Baofu (“wrapped in a scarf”) is a type of vase decorated with a scarf. “Baofu” sounds similar to a Chinese phrase that means “surrounded by happiness” and is used to wish well. This type of vase was first created during Kangxi’s rule (1662–1722).

This baofu vase with a voluminous body is narrower at the bottom and wider at the neck and has a textured surface that looks like flower petals. The entire surface is covered with turquoise glazing and adorned with an ornament in the shape of intertwined branches and flowers. The molded decorative part that depicts a scarf tied in a bow is covered with red and golden glazing. On the bottom of the vase, six hieroglyphs placed in three lines say: “Made in the era of Qianlong, of the great Qing dynasty.”

Ruyi staff

The ruyi staff was made of high-carat gold. The ‘shou’ hieroglyph and bats is an allegorical wish of longevity and happiness while the staff itself symbolises wishes coming true. Ruyi actually means “as per wish.” During the Ming era (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, ruyi staffs became interior decorations that were supposed to bring luck to their owners.

During the Qianlong's rule, the art of staff making reached its peak. They were made out of gold and other precious materials as well as nephrite, bamboo and other materials. The Gugong Palace Museum still has around 3,000 various ruyi staffs in its collection, most of which were presented to the emperor by his subjects.