It may therefore be of little surprise that cranes were also ubiquitously found at the court of the Qing emperors, especially that of Qianlong (AD 1735-1795), an emperor known for his virtuousness and appreciation of antiquity. In this instance, cranes not only appeared in paintings but even three-dimensionally as components of miniaturised immortal palaces made of jades, agate and other precious stones and in greater size flanking the imperial throne, such as the one presented here (Figure 2). Standing on an elaborate cloisonné stand, not only does this creature serve a highly visually appealing purpose, but in much the same way as the glorious emperors of the past, was surely employed by the Imperial House of the Qing as a powerful symbol embodying the contemporary brilliance of the Chinese Empire. 

Cranes have a long-lived tradition of connection with immortality beliefs in China. As birds with a long life span, they were associated with longevity, immortality and wisdom, especially following the rise of Daoism from the Han dynasty. A Daoist priest was said to be able to transform into a crane. Figure 3 and 4 show a Chinese Taoist 1^st degree priest’s robe, detailed with cranes in flight with golden threads.

The crane also stands as a homophone for ‘harmony’ [合] in Chinese language and hence two cranes carry good wishes for a happy and long marriage (Figure 5). It also represents high status as the crane is regarded as ‘a bird of the first rank’ in the imperial hierarchy.

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