A STUNNING PIECE OF CHINA'S IMPERIAL HISTORY, A SEAL PERSONALLY COMMISSIONED BY THE QIANLONG EMPEROR (1711-1799, WILL BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF BONHAMS SALE OF FINE CHINESE ART 11.NOVEMBER IN LONDON. THE PERFECT FOUR CENTIMETER SQUARE JADE SEAL BEARING THE INSCRIPTION 'ZI QIANG BU XI' (SELF-STRENGTHENING NEVER CEASES) IS CLOSELY LINKED TO THE EMPEROR'S 80th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WHICH COINCIDED WITH THE 55th YEAR OF HIS REIGN AND IS AN ICONIC REMINDER OF CHINA'S GOLDEN AGE. THE HISTORY AND PROVENANCE OF THE ARTIFACT SPEAKS BOTH OF A SIMPLE AND ELEGANT PERSONAL AESTHETIC AS WELL AS THE STAMP OF IMPERIAL POWER. IN HIS ARTICLE ON THE SEAL, GUO FUXIANG, A CURATOR AT THE WORLD FAMOUS PALACE MUSEUM IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY OF BEIJING, A WORLD AUTHORITY ON IMPERIAL HISTORY, WRITE: 'THE REASON THIS INSCRIPTION WAS CHOSEN FOR THE SEAL IS REVEALED IN THE EMPEROR'S PERSONAL COMMENTS WHICH INDICATES A DETERMINATION NOT TO BECOME INDOLENT, BUT TO REMAIN MINDFUL AND DILIGENT, DOING HIS BEST TO GOVERN HIS SUBJECTS BEFORE RELINQUISHING POWER. THE TERM ZIQIANG BUXI, SELF-STRENGTHENING NEVER CEASES, SERVED AS A CONSTANT REMINDER TO HIM.' ONE OF THE GLORIES OF HIS LONG REIGN WAS HIS LEGACY OF STUNNING ARTIFACTS AND LITERATURE. AND AT THE HEART OF THIS CORNUCOPIA OF CHINESE ART IS THIS OBJECT, THE EMPEROR'S PERSONAL SEAL WITH WORDING THAT PERSONIFIES HIS STATE OF MIND. THE SEAL WOULD HAVE ORIGINALLY BEEN ONE IN A SET OF THREE JADE SEALS, USED TO MAKE IMPRESSIONS AT THE RIGHT OR LEFT CORNER OF CALLIGRAPHY ARTWORKS. THE IMPRINTS OF ALL THREE SEALS ARE IN THE QIANLONG BAOSOU COLLECTION IN THE BEIJING PALACE MUSEUM.
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