Paper, highlighted with gold, silk brocade frame China, Qianlong period (1736-1795) After Zhang Ning (c. 1425/26-1506) - Chinese official and artist Complete album with 21 illustrations and 25 pages Blue grounded with depiction of various characters, inscription and ornaments in gold The album is in its form a precious rarity and an important witness to the predilection of the Qianlong Emperor for Buddhist texts With numerous seals of Emperor Qianlong Dimensions: 28.5 x 18 cm Good condition Estimate by Auctionata Expert: 100,000 Euro The title refers to Buddha’s disciples who have attained specialist knowledge in one of the twenty-five species of perfect enlightenment. The twenty-five kinds of understanding consist of six data fields (five sensory fields and the thought-field), the six faculties/sensory organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind), the six types of consciousness (see, hear, smell, taste, touch and know) and of the seven elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space [ether], the senses and the consciousness). The present album is a genuine 18th century replica after a late 15th/early 16th century original by Zhang Ning (c. 1425/26-1506). Zhang Ning was an official, poet, calligrapher and painter in the Ming dynasty. The album itself bears several Imperial seals of the Qianlong emperor: One in the middle of the first and second page (Qianlong yulan zhi bao / Treasure scutinized by his majesty during the Qianlong Era) and three on the last page, next to the signature and seals after Zhang Ning. These Qianlong seals read: Qianlong jianshang (Appreciated during the Qianlong era), Sanxitang jingjian xi (Great seal on works carefully examined in the three rarities hall) and Yi zisun (Appropriate for my descendants). The presence of these seals indicate that the album once was selected for a pre-stage before finally entering the Imperial catalogue. Nevertheless, only a tight selection would have made it to this stage, than receiving even more seals which would point to its storage location. Therefore it can be concluded that the album was kept in a pre-selective state in the literary circle of the Imperial Court. Provenance: Documents within the album inform us that it once was acquired in 1860 at the „Library of the Summer Palace“ by the French Frédéric Albert Constatin Weber (1830-1903). Weber served as a military and medical doctor in China in the course of the Anglo-French expedition of that year. He had the album text translated by a scholar after his acquisition. Around 1900 a second owner (yet unknown) had the album text translated again by a mandarin called Li Zhoubo, who worked in the Chinese Imperial embassy in Paris as a translator. The album was then acquired in 1961 by the French collector Phillipe Larue from the Demoiselles Densmore, rue Dufresnoy, in Paris. Sold at Sotheby’s Paris, 9 June 2011, Lot 242. Comparable pieces: Cf. an album from the late Ming Dynasty ‘Hua Lengyan ershiwu yuantong ce by Wu Bin’ (1620) and a scroll ‘Hua Xiang ershiwu yuantong by Fu Kun’ (1627), both in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. Zhang Ning (c. 1425/26-1506) Zhang Ning comes native of Haiyan, Zhejiang, and was an official poet, known calligrapher and painter. Pictures: 1. A Devaraja, Guardian King (Tianwang) or Hushiwang (World-Protecting King 2. Subhuti, one of the 10 main disciples of Buddha 3. Cūḍapanthaka (right), 16th of the 16 arhats, Maha Maudgalyayana (left), one of the 10 main disciples of Sakyamuni 4. Maitreya Bodhisattva, the Buddha of the future and successor of the historic Buddha Shakyamuni 5. Wuliang shoufo, Buddha of immeasurable life, Buddha Amitayus 6. Mañjuśrī, personification of supreme wisdom, with a lion 7. Unknown 8. Bodhidharm, Luohan or Bodhisattva with scepter 9. Unknown 10. Unknown 11. Sundarananda (left), students and half-brother of Sakyamuni 12. Bodhisattva jewelry 13. Dharaṇiṃdhara Bodhisattva, as Gandhāra, rulers of the earth, known 14.Medizin king (Bodhisattva), Bhaisajya-Raja and Bhaisajya-Samudgata 15 Luohan with bowl 16. A monk, who considered the eight figures, probably 8 of 16 arhats. Eight Bodhisattvas: Mañjuśrī, Avalokiteshvara, Ksitigarbha, Akṣayamati, Baotanhua, Bhaisajya-Raja, Bhaisajya-samudgata and Maitreya. 17. Unknown 18. Candraprabha 19.Unbekannt 20 Purna Maitrāyaniputra (Fuluona), one of the ten main disciples of Sakyamuni Condition: The album is in good condition with the usual signs of age and wear. Slight damage at the edges, humidity stains and minimal insect damage are visible. The cover has been renewed in the 19th century. The dimensions are 28.5 x 18 cm. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Starting bid : 50000