Qianqing Gong, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, has a history of 600 years and served as the sleeping quarters for Ming and Qing emperors, deep within the inner court of the Forbidden City. From the Yongzheng Emperor onwards, it also housed the imperial succession edicts, making it the heart of imperial power and a witness to significant historical events.
 
Because of its special status, the Palace of Heavenly Purity became a repository for important artifacts. In 1924, the Committee for the Disposition of Qing Imperial Possessions used the Thousand Character Classic to label artifacts from each palace. As the foremost inner court palace, the Palace of Heavenly Purity was designated with the first character, tian (heaven). Therefore, artifacts labeled with the character for “heaven” specifically refer to treasures from this palace.
 
The National Palace Museum’s heaven-coded jade artifacts span thousands of years of human activity. Including Neolithic ritual objects that embodied divine power, Western Zhou ceremonial objects for honoring patriarchal lineages, and scholars’ items from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, plus other exotic treasures; these artifacts constitute an important cultural heritage.
 
Besides appreciating their great beauty, most people today find jade antiques mystifying. Fortunately, deeper insights are possible. The Qianlong Emperor left clues for us by cataloging his jade collection and having a profusion of new jade items created, elevating jade craft to heights never again matched. In addition, we now have the data gained from a century of archaeological discoveries, and can emulate the archaeological method by treating the Palace of Heavenly Purity as a single excavation unit and its treasures as artifacts unearthed from one site. Through meticulous research and analysis, we can now begin to decode the secrets of the heaven-coded jades and recover their original context.
 
In this way, these precious items from the Palace of Heavenly Purity can take us on an educational journey over the long history of jade culture. Like detectives, we can explore this treasure trove and uncover its secrets!

I. Heaven-coded Jade Artifacts from the Palace of Heavenly Purity
In late 1924, the Committee for the Disposition of Qing Imperial Possessions began cataloging the Forbidden City’s contents, using the Thousand Character Classic to code each palace’s artifacts sequentially. The Palace of Heavenly Purity, as the foremost inner court palace, was assigned the character tian (heaven).
 
Artifacts coded with the character for “heaven” are highly significant, including ritual objects that symbolize imperial authority, treasures reflecting the emperor’s governance principles, and seemingly minor items that actually provide glimpses into major military and diplomatic events. In addition, numerous artistic masterpieces and exotic items highlight the imperial family’s taste and represent a shared human cultural heritage.

II. Qianlong’s Clues: Tracing Jades in the Palace of Heavenly Purity
Examination of the jade artifacts in the Palace of Heavenly Purity reveals significant clues left by the Qianlong Emperor. Qianlong often stored important ancient jade pieces in custom-made boxes and inscribed them with poems expressing his sentiments. These inscriptions now serve as valuable material for our study.
 
In addition, jade pieces with a phrase meaning “Imitating Antiquity in the Qianlong Reign of ” inscribed on them in clerical script offer another important clue. These high-quality, finely crafted pieces often bear Qianlong’s poetry, indicating they were commissioned by him, which helps date the jade artifacts in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
 
However, not all jade artifacts marked “Made in the Qianlong Period” were necessarily made during his reign. Why not? As jade detectives, we must keep working to unravel this mystery.

III. Unraveling the Mystery: Using External Clues to Aid Research
To clarify the dating of jade artifacts in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and resolve the contradictions surrounding the “Made in the Qianlong period” seal script, we need to use modern archaeological findings, analyze characteristics of Islamic jade, and examine jade pieces marked “Imitating Antiquity in the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing” from outside the palace.
 
Archaeological discoveries have revealed that the history of jade from the Neolithic period to the Ming and Qing dynasties spans thousands of years. Earlier periods left fewer jade artifacts and they tended to be more religiously significant. Later periods had a greater abundance of jade artifacts, more of them secular, reflecting daily life.
 
By analyzing the characteristics of Islamic jade, we can identify similar pieces in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Also, examining jade pieces from other halls with the inscription “Imitating Antiquity in the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing” helps further unravel the mystery of the jades marked “Made in the Qianlong period”.

IV. Shedding Light on the Mystery: Unveiling the Heaven-coded Jades
As jade detectives, we now understand how jade varied across different eras. Now, let’s revisit the jade artifacts in the Palace of Heavenly Purity to see if we can distinguish pieces from the various periods, identify imitations of antiquity, and spot any modifications or added decorations.
 
When we re-examine many of the jade pieces inscribed with “Made in the Qianlong period” in seal script, we can now see which are Song dynasty works, which Ming dynasty pieces, and which Qing dynasty creations. We’re on the verge of becoming proficient jade detectives!