A PAIR OF LAPIS-LAZULI HARDSTONE-MOUNTED CANDLESTICKS WITH PSEUDO PRAYER WHEELS

18th/19th century

Footnotes

十八/十九世纪 青金石镶八寶五供烛台一对

Provenance
Collection of the Prince Gong Mansion
Yamanaka & Company
American Art Galleries, New York, 1913
Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2276

Published
Illustrated Catalogue of the Remarkable Collection of the Imperial Prince Kung of China: A Wonderful Treasury of Celestial Art, American Art Galleries, New York, 27 February - 1 March, 1913, lot 198-C

來源
恭親王府舊藏
山中商會古董行
紐約American Art Galleries拍賣行，1913年
香港佳士得拍賣行，2008年12月3日，拍品編號2276

出版
Illustrated Catalogue of the Remarkable Collection of the Imperial Prince Kung of China: A Wonderful Treasury of Celestial Art，紐約American Art Galleries拍賣行，1913年2月27日 – 3月1日，拍品編號198-C

This pair of candlesticks belonged to a set of five-piece garniture from the storied Prince Gong Mansion. The extraordinary objects bear witness to the extreme wealth, decay, and downfall of the Qing Imperial Court. The turbulence transition from the Qing to the Republic period had forced the Prince's family to sell all content of the mansion, except for their collection of painting and calligraphy, to the famed Japanese art dealer Yamanaka Sadajiro (1866-1936) who operated art galleries around the globe. A historic auction of 536 objects, Illustrated Catalogue of the Remarkable Collection of the Imperial Prince Kung of China: A Wonderful Treasury of Celestial Art, was held in 1913 at American Art Galleries in New York, where the present candlesticks were sold.

The Mansion's land existed as early as 1776, but the estate came to light in 1780, when Emperor Qianlong (r. 1735-1796) promised the marriage of his beloved youngest daughter, Princess Hexiao (1775-1823), to Fengseninde (1775-1810), the son of his most favored minister, Heshen (1750-1799). Upon the engagement, Emperor Qianlong ordered Heshen to lead the construction of the Princess' residence for her future home. Heshen, as the Princess' father-in-law, was granted the privilege of living on the Princess' estate while building a lavish mansion and garden far beyond his appropriate rank in court.

Heshen rose to prominence from humble origins. He began working at the Forbidden City as a guard stationed at the gates, was quickly promoted through the ranks and eventually holding the highest positions in Emperor Qianlong's court, handling Imperial Household matters as well as affairs of finance and policy. Heshen created revenues through taxation and policy changes, effectively filled the Emperor's personal and state treasury in the way his predecessors failed to achieve. The treasury funds the governing necessities such as military expenses and disaster relief, as well as the maintenance and construction of the imperial mausoleums. It also funded Qianlong's ambitious project of compiling the encyclopedic Siku Quanshu, which took twenty years to complete and publish. Heshen was loved by Emperor Qianlong for his talent and effectiveness, but hated by Emperor Jiaqing (r. 1796-1820) for his corruption and arrogant behavior. Within a few months of Qianlong's passing, Emperor Jiaqing indicted Heshen with twenty major crimes, demoted his family, confiscated the mansion, and 'mercifully' bestowed a long white damask allowing him to hang himself in prison instead of being decapitated. Princess Hexiao and her husband Fengseninde were ordered to leave the mansion but were well-provided through the end of their lives.

Emperor Jiaqing awarded the mansion to Prince Qing, Yonglin (1766-1820), the youngest brother of the Emperor, and the mansion was called the Prince Qing Mansion for several generations until 1850 when Emperor Daoguang (r. 1820-1850) stated in his will to leave the mansion to Prince Gong, Yixin (1833-1898). During Yixin's time, the Mansion again witnessed the rise and fall of its owners.

The first Prince Gong, Yixin, younger brother of Emperor Xianfeng (r. 1850-1861), lived through the political struggles of the late Qing, when frequent successions of young emperors and the invasions of foreign powers severely weakened the empire. As the closest branch of the imperial bloodline, he was constantly being kept at arms-length from power and invited back in at times of trouble. Yixin gained spotlight for commanding a patrol in 1853 during the Taiping Rebellion, later was deprived of all his posts, before representing the Qing Court in negotiations with the British and French forces after their pillage of Yuanming Yuan in 1860. The traumatic experience of the war and the harsh treaties as a result had solidified his conviction of modernizing China. In 1861, Yixin proposed the establishment of an office in charge of foreign affairs, resulting in the Zongli Yamen (Office for General Management) whose tasks included promoting modern education in Western science, industry, and communications. After the death of Emperor Xianfeng, the Court entered a Regency period during the Tongzhi reign (r. 1861-1875), when Yixin was granted the honor of "Tiemaozi wang" ("Iron-Cap Prince") which allows perpetual inheritance of his title and rank within his descendants.

Yixin lived in the Prince Gong Mansion through the end of his life, and the Prince Gong title was passed down to his grandson, Puwei (1880-1936). The abdication of the Qing Emperor, Puyi (1906-1967), in 1912, ended the system governing the imperial properties. Seeking funds to survive and the resources to restore Puyi's regime, the Prince's family not only sold the movable treasures, but further mortgaged the mansion and related estates with the Catholic church. The mansion was eventually purchased by Fu Jen Catholic University in 1937, when the family was no longer able to keep up with the interest payment. Today, the Prince Gong Mansion is the most complete Prince Mansion in Beijing, open to the public and a must-see location for visitors from around the world.