Emperor Qianlong's Imperial Three-chained Tianhuang seal

History: This three-chained Tianhuang Seal (Tianhuang san lian yin) was made for Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty after he retired from the throne. The last emperor of Qing Dynasty, Puyi (1909-1911), while serving as a prisoner of the Communist Party handed this heirloom to the authority as proof of his "political consciousness". On 17 August 1997, China issued a stamp to commemorate the seal. The Seal: The seal is carved out of a single tianhuang stone to form three interlocking pieces. On the face of each piece is additionally carved chinese character: Qianlong's Vast Kingdom; Most Brilliant; Happy Days(?) Tianhuang (Emperor's stone): Due to rarity tianhuang is considered by the Chinese to be more precious than gold and comparable to the highest quality jade. The price of tianhuang is measured by weight (per gram basis) and the six virtues: exquisiteness, lustrousness, compactness, translucency, warmth and purity. The hardness is typically 2.7. It is mined in the fields of Shoushan valley of Fujian. Venue: It is now kept in the Treasure Hall of The Forbidden Palace in Beijing. Reference: 1. From Emperor to Citizen, The autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, China, 1st Ed. 1989 2. First Day Cover: B-F.D.C. 1997-13 Stone Carvings of Shoushan 3. Cultural Relics World, 2004