The Peeabody Essex Museum is opening the doors to the Forbidden City September 14. Now for the first time, 90 objects of ceremony and leisure – murals, paintings, furniture, architectural and garden components, jades and cloisonné – will be on view at the Peabody Essex Museum before heading to the MET in New York City. This exhibit highlights items from a private paradise commissioned by the 18th-century Qianlong emperor within the Forbidden City. It is filled with precious objects which very few people in the world have ever seen. One item which struck me was a picture commemorating the emperor’s mothers birthday party in 1776. This exhibit made me think of the contrast of a revolutionary America in 1776 and a wealthy and powerful China in 1776. The jade, beautifully carved furniture and other items are just another great reason to visit downtown Salem.
Photo Throne; zitan, bamboo, jade, semi-precious stones, and lacquer; 38 ½ x 46 ¼ x 33 inches; Courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
