Page 153 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art December 2014

Property from the Collection of Emmanuel Gran,
by descent

8295 8294
A group of bamboo and soapstone seals
Late Qing/ Republic period
The first a bamboo seal of square-section and rectangular form with
the cyclical date jichou Winter (1829, 1889 or 1949) inscribed across
the indented top and three characters across the base, the second
a rectangular cross-section of bamboo retaining of its extruding
roots and irregular interior surface, the base carved with at least two
seals; the third of mottled honey-brown soapstone, square-sectioned
and carved across the top with an abstracted shou medallion, the
base inscribed with multiple characters; the six of mottled black
and gray soapstone with canted edges surrounding an abstracted
shou medallion, the square-sectioned base inscribed with four
characters; the fifth a double-headed seal of mottled beige and russet
color, square-sectioned and rectangular in form, one circular head
inscribed with four characters and the square reverse carved with a
coiled archaistic dragon; the sixth of dark ocher soapstone, square-
sectioned and rectangular in form, a recumbent horned animal forming
the finial and the base incised with two characters.
2 to 1 1/4in (5 to 3cm) high
$2,000 - 3,000

8296 8295
A group of five soapstone seals
Republic period
Varying in color from off-white to pale ocher: the largest of square
section and rectangular form with mottled russet markings in the
matrix utilized for the two dragons and clouds carved in delicate
relief, the base inscribed with a single character possibly reading
long (dragon); the second of rectangular section and pale ocher
color, carved with a recumbent dragon resting on an indented plinth
as the finial, the base carved with four characters; the third of square
section with a lion dog and cub nestled together as the finial, the off-
white matrix displaying mottled russet veins and the base inscribed
with six characters; the fourth of thinly sectioned stele form carved
to one side with bamboo and a flowering branch growing downward
from a rocky precipice, the rectangular-sectioned base without
inscription; the fifth also of stele shape and oval section, carved all
around in delicate relief with a landscape, the base of the pale ocher
matrix carved with two characters.
2 3/4 to 1 3/4in (7 and 4.5cm) high
$2,000 - 3,000

8297 8296
A group of eight soapstone seals 8297
Republic period
The largest a pair of square-section and rectangular form carved
with bamboo stalks on the walls of mottled russet and ocher hue,
the bases without inscription; another pair of square-section and
rectangular form without ornamentation except for a slight convex
outline to the top and a wide gray stratum running vertically down
the center of the striated olive colored matrix, the bases also without
inscription; the fifth of fairly hard variegated gray and pale yellow
matrix, of similar square-section and rectangular form carved at the
base with three characters; the sixth of rectangular section and form,
the mottled red and beige matrix carved with four characters to the
base; the seventh of black soapstone with a recumbent elephant
-sectioned black soapstone with an irregular surface to the top and
line-incised with a landscape, the base displaying six characters.
2 5/8 to 1 3/8in (6.8 to 3.3cm) high
$2,000 - 3,000

FINE Chinese Works of Art | 151