A RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMELED PRAYER WHEEL
China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

The instrument consisting of a cylindrical container with four large lobed-profile openings on the wall, connected on the vertical sides by a floral corolla in relief, another smaller cylindrical container inside with a thin tube inserted to shake it on the upper side, the outside of all the parts with a brilliant turquoise enamel on which an elegant floral decoration in polychromy, to the central section of the inner cylinder Sanskrit characters within flaming cartouches forming a mantra, in the center of the lower side a stylized corolla surrounded by Manchurian characters.

20 cm high

Provenance: Italian private collection.

The prayer wheel is a very popular liturgical tool in Tibetan Buddhism. Its use by the faithful is equivalent to a prayer.
Emperor Qianlong was a fervent devotee of Tibetan doctrine. In addition to the erection of temples, the ruler also commissioned the production of artifacts that could serve in rituals, combining Tibetan forms and functions with decorative techniques of pure Chinese taste.