Shíqúbǎo jí tè zhǎn

Abstract

Two-volume catalogue of an important exhibition at the Gugong Museum in Beijing. The Shiqu Baoji ('The Precious Collection of the Stone Moat') catalogue was commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor in 1744 and first published in 1745. An additional volume was later added by his successor, the Jiaqing Emperor. It was a comprehensive catalogue of the Qing imperial collection of paintings and calligraphy, unsurprisingly listing numerous choice, rare and unique works accumulated by the Ming and Qing emperors. It thus cuts to the core of imperial connoisseurship, not least under the most literati of Qing rulers, the Qianlong Emperor. Shiqu 'Stone Moat' was the name of the hall where the Han dynasty emperors held rare books and Qianlong presumably chose this title to emphasize the continuity of imperial collecting over the centuries. The exhibition broadly divided into two main sections: 'The Catalogues' and 'The Collection'. One volume devoted to each of these themes. 'The Catalogues' volume subdivided into sections as follows: Provenance of the Calligraphy and Paintings Recorded; The Compilers; The Compilation Principles; Repositories of The Shiqu Baoji; Editions and Collection Seals. A total of 85 exhibits. The second volume covering 'The Collection' is in the following two sections: Collections of the Court and Recovered Treasures. 115 exhibits. Both volumes illustrated throughout with paintings and calligraphy.