Lot 2625. An impressive soapstone seal, Qing dynasty, 19th century; 9.8 cm, 3 7/8 in. Estimate 2,000,000 — 3,000,000 HKD. Lot Sold 5,780,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's 2010.

the square-section seal finely carved in high relief to the contoured top with a large chilong writhing amongst smaller chilong clambering up the sides and top amidst scrolling clouds, the straight sides left plain but for a small inscription Zhou Yong Gong Juan, the seal surface carved in zhuanshu script showing six characters Heshuo Yi Qinwang Zhang.

Provenance: Charles T. Killie, Presbyterian Mission, Beijing, early 20th century.
Col. H. M. Boies, Scranton, Pennsylvania, early 20th century.

Note: This seal belonged to one of the four princes in the 19th Century who bore the title of Heshuo Yi Qinwang. Princes of the same rank in the 18th Century bore slightly different titles, hence along with the style of carving, this seal can be firmly dated to the 19th Century.

This seal is remarkable for its impressive size and quality of carving, with the chilong dragons emerging and disappearing among clouds in imitation of the Song style of painting dragons. For a soapstone seal with a similarly carved top made for the Jiaqing Emperor in the Palace Museum Collection, see Imperial Seals from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 1996, pl. 239. Another related soapstone seal carved with dragons made for the Qianlong Emperor formerly in the Emile Guimet Collection sold in these rooms, 8th October 2009, lot 1652.