φThe audience granted by the Chinese Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) to the British ambassador, Lord Macartney (1737-1806), on 14 September 1793 marked the beginning of a troubled period in the relations between China and the West. Under the Ch'ing dynasty, China was then at the height of its power. The emperor refused to deal on equal terms with the British or to allow them freedom of trade. But the 19th century was to see the humiliation of imperial China at the hands of the Western powers. X@Thank-you gift@
The Emperor Qianlong gave this attractive purse to the young Thomas Staunton, the page to Lord Macartney's embassy. Staunton acted as interpreter, since he was the only British person to have made the effort to learn the Chinese language. He was to become a specialist in Chinese affairs, and translated the Ch'ing penal code.
