{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/2/context.json","@type":"sc:Manifest","@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/3b2d724d-025d-4bed-aeec-50c3f040f893/manifest","label":"gaa_imperial-jade-seal-used-by-ming-emperor-on-his-birthday-dragon-design_354","metadata":[{"label":"Identifier","value":"gaa_imperial-jade-seal-used-by-ming-emperor-on-his-birthday-dragon-design_354"},{"label":"Citation","value":"Object Name, Date Original (if known), GettDigital: Asian Art Collection, Special Collections / Musselman Library, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Access Date, Link to Item"},{"label":"Repository","value":"Special Collections and College Archives, Musselman Library, Gettysburg College"},{"label":"Inventory Number","value":"354"},{"label":"Part of","value":["Asian Art GettDigital Collection"]},{"label":"Provenance","value":"The Estate of Prof. Frank Kramer; A note from Dr. Frank Kramer's folder \"Oriental Art-Inventory/Copy #1 (in Kramer's box 4, file #17), refers to this piece as: \"China, Imperial jade seal, used by one of the Ming Emperors on his birthday. Has a dragon carved on top where some yellow jade shows. The wood stand was made by Prof. George Warthen, English Department of Gettysburg College, along the lines of the base for a Sung ivory seal we have number 369. Mrs. Warthen, his mother lined the stand in the Imperial color. See Dr. Chen's description in file.\" Another note from Dr. Frank Kramer to Dr. Chao Ming Chen, found in folder 'Scrapbook-Jade (in Kramer's box 5, file #14)': \"…I do like the Imperial seal, No. 496. I have a hundred and one questions to ask about it, too, which I shall do the next time I come to Baltimore. I would like to become better informed on Imperial seals. Is there any work in English or German on the subject? If not, I think that is another contribution to the world's storehouse of knowledge, to use an academic phrase, that no scholarly head could do better than yours… To get back to the seals. I was interested in what you told me about the use of the characters on the seal. I would like to know more. I could find only one in my Chinese dictionary of Five Thousand Words. I suppose these are in the next 50,000 somewhere! The Seal Style is hard for me to connect with the other style. I suppose it means memorizing just so many more characters! The stand, I do not think dues justice to the seal, as I told you. The one you have me to take along, is much more appropriate, but is too large, and when I come to Baltimore again I shall return it to you. I wonder what the original stand was like. Don't you suppose one like the stand of the Imperial Seal you still have in the case, with yellow silk inside, would be more like the original? By the way, please send me the description of that Imperial seal you have-I might become interested in it…\" Dr. Chao sent back a letter, dated December12, 1944, with the measurement and the description of this seal\"…Carved of green, brown and yellow jade in oblong shape with dragon in full face on the top. Under the chin is carved a hole, through which a string can be drawn. This seal bears four Chinese characters in Seal Style, reading \"Wan Shou Wu Chiang\" meaning the life will be prolonged for 10,000 years without end. It is very difficult to determine just what Emperor used it, but the most interesting part is that the first character \"Wan\" meaning 10,000 is a most ancient Chinese character, which is recorded in the Chinese Classics and dictionary. This type of seal was generally used when the Emperor celebrated his own birthday. It is a valuable specimen of its kind.\" (found in the same box)"},{"label":"Genre","value":["Artifacts"]},{"label":"Object Location","value":"J.11"},{"label":"Date","value":"D:00 M:00 Y:1368 - D:00 M:00 Y:1644"},{"label":"Date Original","value":"14th-17th century CE (1368-1644 CE)"},{"label":"Era","value":["Ming dynasty"]},{"label":"Measurement","value":"Height: 3.6 cm; Length: 3.9 cm; Width: 3.0 cm; Rectangular wooden stand 7.5 x 6.2 cm with yellow silk lining"},{"label":"Medium","value":["Light green jade, slightly brownish, opaque, well polished","Jade"]},{"label":"Country of Origin","value":["China"]},{"label":"Description","value":"In the past in China, the inscriptions on official imperial seals usually referred to the Emperors as receivers of the Mandate of Heaven or being the successors of Heaven. The imperial seals had some other functions: the Emperor used them to indicate that a certain document was written in his own handwriting or to give his appraisal and appreciation of an artwork. The paintings acquired by the imperial household were affixed with the imperial seal. Many famous paintings from the Forbidden City have seals of generations of subsequent Emperors on them. Objects in the Imperial household were always decorated with the dragon motif, an emblem of the Emperors. According to Dr. Chen's description (See Kramer's note below), this seal was made to celebrate the Emperor's birthday. Although described as a dragon, its facial features so far do not match any documented or catalogued full-faced or profile of dragon designs during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Not only the animals but also the styles used to carve such items can present a problem when it comes to dating and identifying them. However, there is a convincing full-faced bat in the center of the top surface of the seal which matches the meaning of the scripts \"Wan Shou Wu Chiang\" (life will be prolonged for 10,000 years without end) on the seal. In the Chinese culture, the bat is by no means regarded with aversion as in other cultures. It is an emblem of happiness and longevity. The wings of the bat are stylishly curved in the shape of the head of the Joo-I scepter (its shape is believed to have been derived from the sacred fungus or \"plant of long life\"; it is, therefore, regarded as an emblem of longevity). Mythological symbols drawn from types created by previous periods persisted throughout this period. Some russet markings on the undertone green jade are probably due to age calcification. The deep cut relief, the rugged structure, the bold and grotesque style, and lightly embossed floral or animal decorations are that of the early Ming. The characteristics of jade carving during this period are detectably crude and less artistic."},{"label":"Title","value":"Imperial Jade seal used by Ming Emperor on his birthday, dragon design"},{"label":"Rights","value":"Materials available through GettDigital encompass a wide range of works, many of which are in the public domain. However, some items may still be protected by copyright or other intellectual property rights. Users are responsible for determining the copyright status of materials and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws when reproducing or publishing these works. Items in our GettDigital Collections are for educational use. For assistance in understanding rights, obtaining permissions, or requesting files for publication or research purposes, please contact us at <a href=\"www.gettysburg.edu/special-collections/ask-an-archivist\">www.gettysburg.edu/special-collections/ask-an-archivist</a>"},{"label":"Reference URL","value":"http://cdm16274.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4016coll6/id/2113"}],"description":"Imperial Jade seal used by Ming Emperor on his birthday, dragon design","sequences":[{"@type":"sc:Sequence","canvases":[{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/3b2d724d-025d-4bed-aeec-50c3f040f893/canvas/_1","@type":"sc:Canvas","label":"gaa_354_1","height":576,"width":384,"images":[{"@type":"oa:Annotation","motivation":"sc:painting","resource":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/bf41801f-24e8-49d8-8be2-808a76ad1193/full/full/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","format":"image/jpeg","service":{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json","@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/bf41801f-24e8-49d8-8be2-808a76ad1193","profile":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level2.json","tiles":[{"width":512,"scaleFactors":[1,2]}]},"height":576,"width":384},"on":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/3b2d724d-025d-4bed-aeec-50c3f040f893/canvas/_1","metadata":[{"label":"Identifier","value":"gaa_354_1"},{"label":"Title","value":"Front"},{"label":"Reference URL","value":"http://cdm16274.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4016coll6/id/2243"}]}],"thumbnail":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/bf41801f-24e8-49d8-8be2-808a76ad1193/full/500,500/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","height":500,"width":500}},{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/3b2d724d-025d-4bed-aeec-50c3f040f893/canvas/_2","@type":"sc:Canvas","label":"gaa_354_2","height":576,"width":384,"images":[{"@type":"oa:Annotation","motivation":"sc:painting","resource":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/985d9f03-ed24-4b98-bbcf-04a1a1a57785/full/full/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","format":"image/jpeg","service":{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json","@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/985d9f03-ed24-4b98-bbcf-04a1a1a57785","profile":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level2.json"},"height":576,"width":384},"on":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/3b2d724d-025d-4bed-aeec-50c3f040f893/canvas/_2","metadata":[{"label":"Identifier","value":"gaa_354_2"},{"label":"Title","value":"Back"},{"label":"Reference URL","value":"http://cdm16274.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4016coll6/id/2244"}]}],"thumbnail":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/985d9f03-ed24-4b98-bbcf-04a1a1a57785/full/500,500/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","height":500,"width":500}}]}],"thumbnail":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/bf41801f-24e8-49d8-8be2-808a76ad1193/full/300,300/0/default.jpg","logo":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/gettysburg/iiif/logo"}