Page 175 - March 22 2022 Bonhams

221 In the Qing Imperial Palace the Yuanming Yuan, there was a building
A SAPPHIRE BLUE GLASS SEAL named Xiyu Shanfang (Mountain Studio for Enjoying the Rain). The
19th century structure was built during the Qianlong period, at which time it was
Of upright oval form, with a skillfully carved mythical beast as the referred to as the Leshui Shanfang, and in the Jiaqing period the
knop, the sides carved with a repeating archaistic C-curl pattern, name changed to Xiyu Shanfang. Although it would be difficult to
the legend on the underside in relief reading Xiyu shanfang 喜雨山房 declare definitively that this seal was made for the Yuanming Yuan,
(Mountain Studio for Enjoying the Rain). the sophisticated level of carving indicates that is was likely a product
2 1/8in (5.5cm) high of the Imperial Glassworks.

$3,000 - 5,000 For another Transparent pale blue glass seal dated to the Qianlong
period and surmounted by a mythical beast knop, suoni, and bearing
the relief seal Yangxing Dian (The Hall of Spiritual Cultivation) located at
十九世紀 藍寳石色《喜雨山房》料印 the Palace of Tranquil Longevity in the Forbidden City, see Liu Xinyan,
Xiang Xiaqun and Zhong Guomiao, Treasures of Chinese Qing Dynasty
Palace Glass, London, 2019, p. 168. The authors note that the glass
is imported and therefore dense and hard and difficult to carve. They
employed special engraving techniques used for jade items.

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