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The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City at the Peabody Essex Museum

"An emperor or king should have extensive grounds to stroll in and lovely vistas to enjoy. If he has such a place, he will be able to cultivate his mind and refine his emotions." — The Qianlong emperor

jWhen the last emperor of China, Puyi, left the Forbidden City in 1924, the doors closed on a secluded compound of pavilions and gardens deep within the palace. Filled with exquisite objects personally commissioned by the 18th-century Qianlong  emperor for his personal enjoyment, the complex of lavish buildings and exquisite landscaping lay dormant for decades. Now for the first time, 90 objects of ceremony and leisure — murals, paintings, furniture, architectural and garden components, jades and cloisonné — are on view at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City reveals the contemplative life and refined vision of one of history's most influential rulers with artworks from one of the most magnificent places in the world.

The exhibition was organized by the Peabody Essex Museum in partnership with the Palace Museum, Beijing, and in cooperation with World Monuments Fund. "This is the first time that the Palace Museum has authorized such a large-scale and comprehensive traveling exhibition of original historic cultural heritage objects and interiors, all of which represent the apex of the Qianlong period," said Zheng Xianmiao, Director of the Palace Museum, Beijing. The Emperor's Private Paradise will travel to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (January 31, 2011 - May 1, 2011) and the Milwaukee Art Museum (June 11, 2011 - September 11, 2011).

A garden of elegant repose

A jewel in the immense Forbidden City complex, the Qianlong Garden had remained untouched for more than 230 years when in 2001 the Palace Museum and WMF began the restoration of the 27 buildings, pavilions and outdoor elements including ancient trees and rockeries. Built when China was the largest and most prosperous nation in the world, the garden complex was part of the emperor's ambitious commission undertaken in anticipation of his retirement. Buddhist shrines, open-air gazebos, sitting rooms, libraries, theaters and gardens were interspersed with bamboo groves and other natural arrangements. In the garden's worlds within worlds, the Qianlong emperor would retreat from affairs of state and meditate in closeted niches, write poetry, study the classics and delight in his collection and artistic creations.

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