Rare petit cachet en stéatite Chine, dynastie qing, époque Daoguang (1821-1850), signé Shangjun

de forme rectangulaire, à décor finement sculpté en relief d'un dragon archaïsant de profil, la base portant une inscription à quatre caractères gongjian weide ('pour être vertueux il faut être respectueux et modeste'), l'un des côtés portant la signature Shangjun à deux caractères finement incisés

The seal is in very good overall condition with the exception of four minor tiny dents (the largest 0.1cm) around the 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."

Gongjian weide (reverence and frugality, let these be your virtues') is taken from the Shujing (Classic of Documents) or Shangshu (Esteemed Documents), Section 20: Zhouguan (Officers of Zhou), 18. It was a favorite aphorism of the Daoguang emperor (1782 -1850), who reigned from 1820 to 1850.  A variant design seal impression of the four characters is found in the Qingdai dihou xipu, Beijing,  2005, vol. 10: Daoguang juan. For an extensive discussion of the 'reverence and frugality' of the Daoguang emperor and his fondness for the expression Gongjian weide, compare Li, Zheliang, Diguo de linglei, Chongqing, 2007, pp. 330-339.

This particular seal is signed Shangjun, the personal name of Zhou Bin, considered the finest seal stone carver of the Qing dynasty. His dates are unknown but he is thought to have been active mostly during the Kangxi period, and it is possible that he began carving as early as the late Ming, for a figure of a luohan signed by him is dated to the 1626, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 25th May 2011, lot 237. Zhou Bin who lived and worked in Fujian, is known to have made seal stones for local officials who then submitted them to the court where they were kept and passed down for later use.