Two smoky crystal 'lion' seals, Qing dynasty, 18th / 19th century

Acquired from a Prominent European Noble Family by the father of the present owners circa 1993, thence by descent.

This rare pair of seals, adorned with recumbent mythical beasts as symbols of royalty and protection, are particularly fine examples of the seal style emerging from Qing palace contexts during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 

The inscription zhijie jindu ('spend in moderation, act according to regulations') on the seals is an excerpt from the Confucius classic Xiaojing (Classic of Filial Piety), which states that hereditary lords (and each of us by extension) ought to be: 

Above others, and yet free from pride, they dwell on high, without peril. Adhering to economy and carefully observant of the rules and laws, they are full, without overflowing. To dwell on high without peril is the way long to preserve nobility; to be full without overflowing is the way long to preserve riches. (trans. Legge)

This auspicious yet commanding inscription appears to have been a favourite of the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors who reproduced the phrase on banner boards for their Summer Palaces, the latter in 1767. The same inscription also appears on the face of a related glass seal from the Qianlong period attributed to the Prince Su, thought to be made as a celebration of his appointment and serving as a reminder of the virtue appropriate to his position. This seal was preserved alongside a corresponding seal of the Prince Su in the Jingguantang Collection and sold as a pair at Christie’s New York, 18th September 1997, lot 111. Given the history of the Prince Su pair, it seems highly likely that the present seals emerged in a similar context, possibly as gifts for an imperial or princely appointment and produced as pairs to corresponding titular seals no longer extant. 

The style of carving of the final closely resembles in quality those of imperial seals produced during the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors, including the ‘Yuanjianzhai’ seal sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 6 April 2016, lot 3102; and a pair of uncarved seals adorned with muscular beasts, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 6th April 2015, lot 107.