AN IMPERIAL SPINACH-GREEN JADE 'HUI QI YOU JI' SEAL QING DYNASTY, JIAQING PERIOD | 清嘉慶 嘉慶帝御寶鏤雕龍鈕碧玉璽 印文：會其有極

AN IMPERIAL SPINACH-GREEN JADE 'HUI QI YOU JI' SEAL

QING DYNASTY, JIAQING PERIOD

清嘉慶 嘉慶帝御寶鏤雕龍鈕碧玉璽

印文：會其有極

the plain high square base surmounted by a carved and pierced finial in the form of a ferocious dragon in pursuit of a flaming pearl, its undulating body with finely incised scales meandering within dense cloud scrolls to display great vigour and power, its head depicted with bulging eyes and flared nostrils above its clenched open mouth revealing a curled tongue between sharp fangs, the seal face deeply and crisply carved with the four characters Hui qi you ji ('Maintain one's standards'), a phrase excerpted from Shangshu [The Book of History], the stone of a dark green colour with areas of darker speckling

7 cm, 2 ¾ in.