An imperial 'tanxiangmu' 'dragon' seal, Late Qing dynasty

Florida Private Collection.

A similar example of a four-character tanxiangmu seal, inscribed with ya dao qing xin (elegance and purity of heart), but smaller in size, is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Gugong jingdian. Ming Qing dihou baoxi [Classics of the Forbidden City. Imperial Seals of the Ming and Qing Dynasties], Beijing, 2008, pl. 277.

Compare two larger examples of tanxiangmu seals that belonged to Cixi, the first inscribed to the seal face with Cixi taihou yulan zhibao (seal for the appreciation of the Empress Dowager Cixi), ibid., pl. 269; another inscribed with a seven-character verse from a poem by the Yuan dynasty scholar Weng Sen, ibid, pl. 280. A late Qing example, inscribed xieci yuanchun (in celebration of the New Year), was sold in these rooms, 23rd September 2020, lot 635.