Carved ivory* medallion

Carved ivory* medallion in the form of an abstinence plaque, inscribed on one side in Mandarin: 皇帝行寶櫃之鑰 (the key to the Emperor’s treasure cabinet), the other side with the same inscription in Manchu. The upper part carved with a five-clawed dragon motif enhanced with polychrome, the rim adorned with vajra carved in slight relief.

According to Buddhist and Taoist tradition, abstinence meant cutting out certain harmful foods: meat, certain fragrant herbs and roots such as onions, shallots and garlic, restricting alcohol consumption and denying oneself carnal pleasures. Abstinence generally lasted three days.
Originally, these plates were mainly devotional, serving as a ‘reminder’ to their owners to abstain from pagan pleasures.

This tradition, first observed under the Ming, was revived during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng and continued under Emperor Qianlong, when it was observed by the emperor himself, the empress, eunuchs and other members of the court, for several days before certain important rituals.

Due to the rank of the people who wore such objects, they became objets d’art whose beauty and finesse of execution were then publicly admired and served to show the status of their owner.

Height: 11 cm
Width: 7 cm
Gross weight: 81.6 g

Provenance: Purchased in Toulouse, France in the 1950s/1970s. Then by descent.

*Elephant spp (Elephantidae spp) ivory specimen in compliance with the AM of May 4, 2017 allowing the commercial use of antique Elephantidae ivory. A CITES re-export permit will be required for export out of the EU, at the expense of the future buyer.