AN IVORY 'DRAGON' SEAL THE SEAL: QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY THE SEAL FACE: QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

of cylindrical form, finely carved in openwork with a crouching dragon coiled around a 'flaming pearl', its broad expressive face detailed with bulging eyes and sharp claws coveting the jewel, the seal face later carved with the trigram qian flanked by a pair of stylised kui dragons forming the traditional pun for Qianlong, the ivory richly patinated to a warm straw tone

The exterior claw on two of the dragon's paws have chipped off, as well as one of its horn. Otherwise the carving is in good conditon. There is an age crack extending around the seal platform and some circular cracks on its base.
"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 trigram carved on the surface seal is one of the bagua (Eight Trigrams) used in ancient times for divination. Bagua were the basis for the sixty-four hexagrams of the Zhou yi (Changes of the Zhou), the earliest form in the compilation known as the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) that was the main text providing guidance and assessment for state affairs during the Zhou dynasty.

Consisting of three unbroken lines, the present symbol, named qian, represents the male principle (yang). Qianlong was fond of symbols with archaic connotation and often used the combination of this trigram with dragons (long) as a homophone of his reign name.

Compare the carving of the dragon and ' flaming pearl' on this seal with the carving found on a soapstone Qianlong seal from the Guimet collection, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2009, lot 1652.