Chalice of Eternal Stability: Rise and Fall of an Empire

At the recently held cultural relic exhibition entitled “The Making of Zhongguo – Origins, Developments and Achievements of Chinese Civilization” at China’s Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, many of the exhibits were taken from the collection of the museum itself, and a significant proportion of those were related to Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1911. The exhibition featured antiques collected by the emperor, including some items he himself used regularly. There were also several items that were custom-made especially for him throughout his reign, which lasted from 1735 to 1796.Today, we’re going to talk about the Chalice of Eternal Stability designed by China’s longest reigning emperor, and its connection to the fortune of the country’s last dynasty.