Grand cachet impérial en jade vert, cachet de l'impératrice Cixi Chine, dynastie Qing, époque Guangxu (1875-1908)

l'imposante base carrée surmontée d'un double dragon à cinq griffes, les animaux puissants prostrés dos-à-dos, gueules entrouvertes, les écailles dorsales hérissées, les corps percés au centre pour le passage d'une corde nouée, la base sculptée en caractères d'impressions positifs Lijing ge jianshang, le jade vert translucide avec des inclusions blanches, sur une base étagée en bois sculpté et ajouré  

There are chips to the corners and a few chips and nicks along the edges (the longest 5 x 3 mm at one of the upper corner, another 4 mm to the edge of the impression surface), a chip to one of the dragon's horn, some patches of white inclusions and natural veins in the stone, the longest 8 cm extending diagonally from the upper right edge down to the seal surface and 3 cm perpendicularly onto the top (showing on the illustration in the catalogue), surface dirt in the interstice of the carved design. The colour of the stone is a fraction less yellow, more translucid green, than the illustration would suggest in the catalogue. The wood stand with a few age cracks to the main platform, but otherwise generally in good condition.
"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 seal's impression can read Lijing ge jianshang "Appraised and Appreciated in the Hall of Beautiful Vistas". The Lijing xuan (Hall of Beautiful Vistas) was built during the early Ming, but its original name was the Sixun zhai "Lodge Where Thought is Obedient," a residence for imperial concubines located in the rear courtyard of the Chuxiu gong "Palace of Gathering Elegance," where Xiaoqin (1835-1908), later Empress Dowager Cixi, gave birth in 1856 to a son for the Xianfeng emperor, a child who later became the Tongzhi emperor.  In 1884, during her fiftieth year and as the "Saintly Mother Empress Dowager" she moved back to the Chuxiu gong.  It was then that she had the name Sixun zhai (Lodge Where Thought is Obedient) changed to Lijing xuan (Hall of Beautiful Vistas).  The seal stone face engraving can thus be dated to 1884.  Later, the Lijing xuan has been used as an exhibit hall for Qing dynasty art since the founding of the Palace Museum, a function similar to how it was used by the Empress Dowager for her enjoyment of art objects during her residency in the Chuxiu gong.