Price of emperor's floral art set to blossom at spring auction

Another art book up for auction focuses on 12 kinds of flowers painted by Qian Weicheng-a top official who was in charge of penalties and justice for Qianlong-and was treasured by the emperor. He wrote poems for every flower depicted in the art book. On the painting of a branch of wintersweet, Qianlong wrote that the flower enjoys the qualities of purity and elegance.

In the Forbidden City, where the emperor used to live, he personally planted lots of plum trees around his living room. On his table stands a screen with a jade board engraved with his poems, recording his journey to a plum tree garden in the suburb of Suzhou in Jiangsu province, a city known for its gardens.

Qianlong was so fond of the plum tree garden that he visited it six times. The jade board of the table screen to be auctioned has a trio of poems related to three of the emperor's visits there.

Also on the docket is a ring worn by the ruler, with the pattern of a chrysanthemum engraved on the gem.

He not only used these items, with their floral elements, but also painted them in ink.