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PROPERTY FROM A NORTH AMERICAN FAMILY The seal face is inscribed with a four-character Tanxiangmu is a type of soft wood that grows
COLLECTION inscription Xieci yuanchun, which is a verse in southern China. Known for its mesmerizing
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE from a poem recorded in the Chinese classic natural scent, tanxiangmu was a popular
IMPERIAL TANXIANGMU SEAL Yuefu shiji [Collection of Yuefu poetry] as being material favored by the Qing Court. Very
LATE QING DYNASTY recited on a New Year banquet during the Sui few imperial seals made of tanxiangmu,
dynasty. This four-character verse, which can however, have come to the market, although
of square section, surmounted by a pair be interpreted as ‘in celebration of the New a tanxiangmu seal belonging to the Kangxi
of addorsed dragons among clouds, each Year’, indicates the present seal was likely Emperor was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 6th
powerful creature boldly carved with bulging created for the occasion of a New Year festival. April 2016, lot 3101, and in the accompaning
eyes and flaring nostrils above long whiskers, Although the present seal does not appear to essay by Guo Fuxiang, the author notes that
the mouth open to reveal sharp fangs, two be documented in Qing imperial records, it may tangxiangmu seals from the Kangxi period
horns extending back over its head along a have belonged to Empress Dowager Cixi. As are exclusively made from a single block of
combed mane with incised details, the two noted by Guo Fuxiang, Empress Dowager Cixi wood and their finials are often carved with a
scaly bodies tightly intertwined and crouching, owned a large number of seals. Only a small recumbent mythical beast. By contrast, Cixi-
pierced through the center with an aperture group has been included in the Cixi Baosou, era tanxiangmu seals tend to comprise bases
threaded with a yellow silk cord terminating in and among all the seals of Cixi, a larger number and finials created separately and attached
knotted tassels, the seal face deeply carved in of seals were made from either tanxiangmu or together, and their finials are often made in the
baiwen style with four characters reading xieci celadon jade from Xiuyan, Liaoning province form of entwined dragons, such as the present
yuanchun (in celebration of the New Year) (see Guo Fuxiang, Gugong bowuyuan cang example.
Height 5⅜ in., 13.8 cm; Width 7⅜ in., 18.7 cm; qingdai dihou xiyin pu Cixi juan [Catalogue of For other related late Qing dynasty imperial
Depth 7⅜ in., 18.7 cm imperial seals of the Qing dynasty. Cixi section], seals, see a rock crystal seal of Empress
vol. 1, Beijing, 2005, p. 22). Compare a closely Dowager Cixi, from the collection of Gustav
PROVENANCE
related tanxiangmu seal of a similar size that Detring (1842-1913) / Constantin von Hanneken
Collection of Max Meincke, acquired in Beijing belonged to Cixi, also with a separately carved (1854-1925), sold in these rooms, 21st March
circa 1900, and thence by descent. double-dragon finial, inscribed to the seal face 2018; a celadon jade seal of Empress Dowager
with a seven-character verse from a poem by Cixi, with the finial carved in a very similar
$ 40,000-60,000 the Yuan dynasty scholar Weng Sen, in the style, from the collection of Mark Birley, sold in
Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Gugong our London rooms, 21st March 2013, lot 366;
清末 檀香木雕交龍鈕方璽 jingdian. Ming Qing dihou baoxi (Classics of and another of a rectangular form, from the
the Forbidden City. Imperial Seals of the Ming Guangxu period, sold in our London rooms, 11th
璽文： and Qing Dynasties], Beijing, 2008, pl. 280, May 2011, lot 201.
協此元春 together with a larger example, the ‘Cixi taihou
yulan zhibao’ (seal for the appreciation of the
Empress Dowager Cixi) seal, pl. 269.
來源
Max Meincke 收藏，約1900年得於北京，
此後家族傳承

Seal impression of the present lot
本拍品印文

118 SOTHEBY’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART