An important imperial Khotan-green jade 'Taishang huangdi zhi bao' seal, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆 乾隆帝御寶交龍鈕和闐青玉璽 印文：太上皇帝之寶

Property from the De An Tang Collection

An important imperial Khotan-green jade 'Taishang huangdi zhi bao' seal, 

Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

德安堂藏玉

清乾隆 乾隆帝御寶交龍鈕和闐青玉璽 印文：太上皇帝之寶

of medium square form, surmounted by a finely carved pair of addorsed dragons, each powerfully carved with eyes bulging and nostrils flaring above curling whiskers and jaws bearing sharp fangs, the scales and flowing mane skillfully incised, the two scaly bodies tightly intertwined and crouching on their haunches, pierced through the centre with an aperture, the square seal deeply and crisply carved with the characters Taishang huangdi zhi bao ('Treasure of the Emperor Emertitus') left in the positive, the stone of a light moss-green tone with white inclusions and flecks of darker green

6.4 by 6.4 by h. 6.5 cm