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A BLANC-DE-CHINE 'MYTHICAL BEAST AND CUB' SQUARE SEAL Xuande four-character mark,17th/18th century image 1
A BLANC-DE-CHINE 'MYTHICAL BEAST AND CUB' SQUARE SEAL Xuande four-character mark,17th/18th century image 2
A BLANC-DE-CHINE 'MYTHICAL BEAST AND CUB' SQUARE SEAL Xuande four-character mark,17th/18th century image 3
A BLANC-DE-CHINE 'MYTHICAL BEAST AND CUB' SQUARE SEAL Xuande four-character mark,17th/18th century image 4
The John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023) Collection of Chinese Art
大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)中國藝術品收藏
Lot 14

A BLANC-DE-CHINE 'MYTHICAL BEAST AND CUB' SQUARE SEAL
Xuande four-character mark,17th/18th century

Amended
16 May 2024, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £95,650 inc. premium

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A BLANC-DE-CHINE 'MYTHICAL BEAST AND CUB' SQUARE SEAL

Xuande four-character mark,17th/18th century
The square seal surmounted by a fierce lu duan, its bifurcated horn extending down its back, with finely incised mane and tail, with flaring nostrils and bulging eyes, a playful cub by its front right paw, the seal face reading tianshui yuehe (天水月河) 'Heavenly water streams [like the] moon'. 8cm (3 1/8in) high.

Footnotes

十七/十八世紀 德化窯白釉瑞獸鈕方印
「天水月河」款

Provenance: William Clayton Ltd., London, 19 January 1967 (valuation for insurance)
John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.99

來源:倫敦古董商 William Clayton Ltd.,1967年1月19日(保險評估)
大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023),倫敦,藏品編號99

Compare with a similar blanc-de-Chine seal, Ming dynasty, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Small Refined articles of the Study, Shanghai, 2009, pp.271, no.270; and another in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (acc.no.EA1956.3281).

See also a very similar blanc de-Chine documentary seal, cyclically dated to the Jiyou year, corresponding to 1684 and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 7 November 2022, lot 84.

Saleroom notices

Please note that the present lot does not have a Xuande mark as stated in the printed catalogue. 請注意本拍品無圖錄中所提到的宣德款。

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