Hong Kong Palace Museum | “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art of Armaments — Qing Dynasty Military Collection from The Palace Museum” Thematic Exhibition Talk | Lustrous Blades, Sheathed Splendour: The “Heaven-Earth-Man” Sabres of the Qianlong Emperor

In 1748, the Qianlong Emperor commissioned the Imperial Workshops to produce 30 swords and 30 sabres over a span of ten years. These blades were inscribed with the characters “Made during the Qianlong period” and marked with serial numbers denoting “Heaven”, “Earth”, or “Man”, hence they became known as the “Heaven-Earth-Man” series. Subsequently, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the production of over 60 additional sabres, with the manufacturing process continuing until 1795. Consequently, this collection of over one hundred blades emerged as representative artefacts of Qing imperial armaments.

As exclusive possessions of the emperor, these weapons—bearing distinct designs and names—undoubtedly reflect both the systematic principles governing their production and the personal inclinations of the sovereign.

This talk accompanies the thematic exhibition “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art of Armaments — Qing Dynasty Military Collection from The Palace Museum”. The exhibition is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum and The Palace Museum. It is solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Organised by:

Solely sponsored by:

Disclaimer: None of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, their respective affiliates or any other person involved in or related to the compilation of the contents herein (collectively, “the HKJC Parties”) makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the contents or as to the results that may be obtained by the use thereof. In no event shall any HKJC Party have any liability of any kind to any person or entity arising from or related to any actions taken or not taken as a result of any of the contents herein

Details