The Imperial seal belonged to the fifth Emperor in the Qing dynasty, Jiaqing (reign 1796-1820) and will be offered in the Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale, at Bonhams Hong Kong on 4 June. It is estimated at HKD 2,000,000-3,000,000.

It belonged to a set of three Imperial seals, with the other two bearing the inscriptions Qinghuige and Yun ri xiang hui ying. The exceptional seal is recorded in the Imperial archives, published by the Palace Museum, Beijing.

Inscribed 'shui mu zhan qing hua' which translates as 'Tranquil water and luxuriant trees in the garden', the seal was made specifically to be stored in the Qinghuige, a special Imperial retreat, set in the western part of the Jiuzhouqingyan, a tranquil and scenic island within the celebrated Imperial palaces and gardens complex - the Yuanmingyuan.

Qinghuige, extremely private and secluded, was reserved solely for the use of the Emperor and members of the Imperial family, with special entry permits required for officials and servants.

The Qinghuige, became a favourite location with the Qianlong Emperor (reign 1736-1795) and his son, the Jiaqing Emperor. With the former commissioning paintings of himself within the Qinghuige and the latter writing poems and commentary on his time spent there, allowing him precious moments of tranquillity amidst the serene landscape, yet still reflecting on his lifelong duty towards his people and continuous perseverance to improve his rule.

The Qinghuige was demolished during the early Daoguang reign period (1821-1850), therefore making this important seal, an exceptionally rare surviving Imperial artefact documenting the existence and beauty of the Qinghuige, a personal space of tranquillity cherished by the emperors.

Asaph Hyman, Director of Chinese Art commented: "This important Imperial jade seal is an exceptionally rare object and until it was brought to light at this sale had been kept in an English private collection, now recognised for its historical, cultural and aesthetic importance."