Heirloom Seal of the Realm

Heirloom Seal of the Realm
傳國璽
传国玺
ArmigerImperial China
Adopted221 BC
Motto受命於天 既壽永昌 (Shòumìng yú tiān jì shòu yǒngchāng, "Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may (the emperor) lead a long and prosperous life.")

受命
於天
既壽
永昌

UseOfficial seal of the state
Heirloom Seal of the Realm
Traditional Chinese傳國璽
Simplified Chinese传国玺
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChuán guó xǐ
Wade–GilesCh'uan2 kuo2 hsi3
IPA[ʈʂʰwǎn kwǒ ɕì]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationChyùn gwok sáai
JyutpingCyun4 gwok3 saai2
IPA[tsʰyn˩ kʷɔk̚˧ saj˧˥]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôthuân kok suá
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese/ɖˠiuᴇn kwək̚ siᴇX/
Old Chinese
Zhengzhang/*don kʷɯːɡ smlelʔ/

The Heirloom Seal of the Realm (traditional Chinese: 傳國玉璽; simplified Chinese: 传国玉玺; pinyin: chuán guó yù xǐ), also known in English as the Imperial Seal of China, was a Chinese jade seal allegedly carved out of the Heshibi, a sacred piece of jade.[1] The Seal was created in 221 BC, shortly after Qin Shi Huang unified China and established the Qin dynasty, China's first imperial dynasty. The Heirloom Seal served as the imperial Chinese seal throughout the next millennium of Chinese history, and its possession was seen as a physical symbol of the Mandate of Heaven.

The Heirloom Seal was lost around the end of the Tang dynasty (618–907) or during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960).

  1. ^ The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Beijing 30: Imperial Seals and Signets - Gugong Bowuyuan Cang Wenwu Zhenpin Quanji 30: Xi yin (Taiwanese Chinese) – 2008. by Beijing Palace Museum. ISBN 9620753453, ISBN 978-9620753459

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