A FINELY CARVED SOAPSTONE 'MYTHICAL BEAST' SEAL QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the rich speckled dark cinnabar-red and yellow-ochre stone powerfully carved with a finial in the form of a lion standing foursquare, the beast rendered with the head lowered towards the left and portrayed with well-defined muscles and powerful claws, the yellow section of the stone skilfully utilised to depict the beast's mane and tail, the seal face effaced

Acquired in Hong Kong, February 1979.

Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 66.

The seal in in very good condition. There is an extremely minute nibbling to the left eyelid.
"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."

Powerfully modelled and carved with a ferocious recumbent beast, this soapstone seal exemplifies the artist's unlimited creativity, utmost meticulousness and technical perfection. Skilfully carved from a variegated stone and resembling a feline with a horse's mane and a well-defined muscular body terminating in a bushy tail, this mythical animal is likely to be a creation of the imperial workshop, capturing the imagination of the carver and illustrating the power of the sovereign.

Soapstones, named in Chinese after their origin Shoushan, come in multiple colours and have for centuries been prized by scholars for their fineness and variegation. Since the beginning of the Qing dynasty, the Manchu emperors devoted themselves to the study of Han Chinese culture and adopted the usage of xianzhang ('seals of leisure'), which could be used on paintings and calligraphic works in addition to names and places. These seals of leisure, often carved with phrases proclaiming the rulers' political ideology and personal beliefs, help filling in the blanks left by written records.

On the 23rd day of the first month of the Yongzheng reign (1723), Prince Yi of the First Rank (1686-1730) presented a small group of soapstone seals adorned with mythical beasts. Apparently delighted by the seals' exquisite quality, the new Emperor ordered their seal faces to be carved at Kezizuo ('workshop of inscription'); see The First Historical Archives of China, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, eds, Qinggong neiwufu zaobanchu dang'an zonghui [General collection of archival records from the Qing imperial household department workshop], Beijing, 2005, vol. 1, p. 10. Included among them was the red soapstone 'winged bear' chaoqianxiti ('consistent perseverance') seal. Together with a handful of other examples, this seal is still preserved in Beijing, illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City: Imperial Seals of the Ming & Qing Dynasties, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2008, cat. no. 169. Masterfully carved through a naturally variegated stone, the light amber coloured section was used for the mane, the 'winged bear' seal demonstrates a style similar to that of the present piece. In order to be presented in the first month of the reign so as to please the new Emperor on his ascendance to the throne, the production of these soapstone seals likely started months earlier in the late Kangxi period.

The production of imperial soapstone seals thrived between the Kangxi and Qianlong periods, when fine materials were used and seals were meticulously carved. It is recorded that among over 130 seals produced within the 61 years of the Kangxi reign (1661-1722), more than a hundred were made of soapstone. One important example is the yuanjianzhai ('The Studio of Profound Discernment') seal, sold in these rooms, 6th April 2016, lot 3102. The Yongzheng Emperor (1678-1735, r. 1723-1735) similarly favoured soapstone seals over other materials; among the two hundred seals he used within his 13-year reign, there were over 160 made of soapstone. In the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799, r. 1735-1796), out of more than a thousand seals, six hundred were carved from soapstone.