Sceau en jade céladon pâle Dynastie Qing, première moitié du XVIIIE siècle

de forme carrée, le dessus puissamment sculpté de deux chilong sinueux affrontés, le dessous incisé de neuf caractères archaïsants Zhong Xiao Jie Yi Baixing zhi guanmian, la pierre au doux poli et d'une couleur céladon pâle uniforme avec quelques légères inclusions noires au dessous

Formerly in a French private collection (by repute).

The seal is in overall very condition. There is a small natural flaw to the stone on the edge of one corner of the the seal which may have been polished and with a ca. 0.5cm shallow flake. The stone is of an even pale celadon colour and well polished. It is translucent under light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The base of this pale celadon jade seal is carved with nine characters which may be translated as follows: 'Loyalty, Filial Piety, Dignity, Righteousness, guide people in all their behaviors' (Fig. 1).

Our seal depicts in an archaic style a chilong dragon and its cub. Delicately modelled in the round, the detailed and sinuous forms of these mythical creatures contrast with the angularity of the seal. However, this is a common shape for knobs of imperial seals since the First Emperor's Seal of Transmission of the Realm.

We can compare the shape and composition of our seal to the rare Imperial white jade ‘Yongzheng Yubi Zhi Bao’ seal sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7th April 2015, lot 102, which depicts as well a square form seal with thick sides surmounted by a ferocious chilong with a well-defined muscular body and brushy tail but surrounded with 8 smaller chilong (Fig. 2).

We can also correlate our seal shape to the Imperial white jade ‘Xiumu Jiayin’ seal, Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing period, of slightly bigger size, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8th October 2013, lot 3071. The chilong and its cub are powerfully carved in the same face to face position, on a very similar square base (Fig. 3).

This chilong and cubs design can be found on many other Imperial seals such as the ‘You Ri Zi Zi’ spinach-green jade seal sold at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 8th October 2008, lot 2008.

Without a doubt, our seal has all the esthetical criteria and this smooth and powerful carving to be compared in quality and appearance with the Imperial seals described above.