A Trio of Linked Seals Carved from Tianhuang Stone
The Trio of Linked Seals Carved from Tianhuang Stone, dating back to the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, consists of two square seals and an oval seal, which are linked together by three chains. Each square seal has a side length of 2.6 centimeters, and the oval seal has a major axis of three centimeters and a minor axis of 2.3 centimeters, all with a height of one centimeter. The seals and chains were exquisitely carved from the same piece of Tianhuang stone, testifying to the superb skills of the creator.
Unique to China, Tianhuang stone (mainly consisting of such minerals as dickite and pyrophyllite, among others) is dubbed "soft gemstone" for its jade-like texture. It is the most famous soft stone material used for carving in China. Imperial seals and artworks crafted with this kind of stone are venerated as "kings of stones". Emperor Qianlong collected a large quantity of Tianhuang stone for seal cutting.
The two square seals were engraved with the Chinese characters "乾隆宸翰" (Qianlong chenhan, meaning "inscriptions by Emperor Qianlong") and " 惟精惟一" (weijing weiyi, meaning "purity and dedication"), and the oval one carries the words "乐天" (letian, meaning "contentment"). Both "weijingweiyi" and "letian" were quoted from Confucian classics. This was how Emperor Qianlong expressed his commitment to state governance and his life philosophy of being content with one's lot.
Emperor Qianlong was extremely fond of this set of seals and often used them to affix stamps on his calligraphic works and paintings. They were also treasured by later emperors. Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, took the seals with him when he was forced to vacate the palace. Not until 1950 were the seals returned to the Palace Museum via relevant departments.
田黄三联印
田黄三联印制作于清乾隆时期，包括两枚正方形印和一枚椭圆形印，高度1厘米，正方形印边长2.6厘米，椭圆形印长径3厘米，短径2.3厘米，三枚印通过三条活环连接在一起。三枚印章和所有活环链，由一整块田黄石雕刻而成，雕工精绝，显示出制作者的极高造诣。
田黄是中国特有的“软宝石”，材质温润凝腻，居软质雕刻石第一品。以田黄雕刻成的御用玺印及艺术品被尊为“石帝”。乾隆皇帝大量收藏田黄，多用来治印。
两枚正方形印，分别为“乾隆宸翰”和“惟精惟一”，椭圆形印为“乐天”，并饰以螭纹。“惟精惟一”“乐天”出自儒家经典，乾隆借此表明其精心一意的施政思想和乐天知命的人生态度。
此印备受乾隆皇帝青睐，常钤盖在其书画上，以后各帝也十分珍视。末代皇帝溥仪被逐出宫时携出此印，且随身不离，至1950年才将其交出，经有关机构移交故宫博物院。
