Qing Imperial Palace: Tapestry of the Heart Sutra Written by Emperor Qianlong

CHINA, Beijing; Qing dynasty

This silk tapestry and ink piece was originally housed in the collection of the Qing Imperial Palace. The eight folios were kept in a purple rosewood box engraved with a dragon and cloud pattern. The cover of the box was made of white jade with the words “Heart Sutra written by the emperor” engraved on it.
The first folio has an image of a golden dragon wrapped around a flaming pearl against a blue background with cloud patterning. Flames radiate out from the dragon’s body, giving it an imposing appearance. In front of the text on the second folio, there is an image of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The seventh folio has an image of Skanda, who is a Dharma protector. The last folio has a depiction of a dragon similar to the one at the front. The Heart Sutra in running script was written in ink by Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795) of the Qing dynasty.