A CARVED TIANHUANG 'DRAGON' SEAL QING DYNASTY, XIANFENG PERIOD, DATED TO THE TENTH YEAR (1860)

of square section, finely carved with a ferocious coiling dragon with alert eyes and well-combed mane, his left paw suspending a string of coins and 'knife money', the adjacent side decorated with a sinuous chilong in low relief, incised in running script on another side with the characters Xianfeng shi nian zhi ('Made in the tenth year of the Xianfeng period', corresponding to 1860), the seal face carved with five characters in seal script Wu meng dao gongming ('Fame is beyond the wildest dreams'), the stone of a golden caramel tone with natural inclusions and characteristic veining

There are some nicks, including a chip of approx. 1 cm to the right of the seal face, as well as some small nicks to the bottom part of the dragon (5 mm) and its left horn. There are also some bruises, including one of 2 mm to its right horn, and a 5 mm area of the bottom right corner of the seal face. The stone is of an attractive golden caramel tone with natural veining.
"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 treatment of the dragon, with its intricately carved scales and finely modelled features, testifies to the consummate skills of the carvers at the time, who possibly were located in the Shoushan area in Fujian province, where the precious tianhuang stone was mined. The character shou from Shoushan means 'longevity' and fu from Fujian means 'fortune'; hence tianhuang embodies the wish for good fortune and longevity. Compare a similar example, but carved with a dragon-fish and signed Shangjun, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27th November 2007, lot 1880; and a slightly earlier example of a dragon riding swirling waves, sold in these rooms, 8th April 2010, lot 1977.

Tianhuang is a type of soapstone that is highly valued for its warm yellow hues and lustrous sheen and considered the rival material to the finest and purest jade. Apart from being graded by its colour, tianhuang was also priced according to its weight rather than size, thus making it one of the most expensive materials to carve.