Beschreibung:

AN IMPERIAL GREENISH-WHITE JADE SEAL JIAQING PERIOD (1796-1820) The seal is carved with a square platform with a finial in the form of a mythical beast. The seal face is carved with a four-character inscription in intaglio reading Sishi zhi shi, ‘the beginning of the Four Seasons’ in seal script. The impression of the current seal is included in Qingdai dihou xiyin pu [An Album of Impressions of the Qing-dynasty Emperors and Empresses’ Seals], Jiaqing juan, no. 2, Beijing, 2005, p. 154. According to Jiaqing baosou, the present seal is one of a set of three seals, with the other two matching seals being the fu chun lou (Fuchun Hall) seal and wan wu yi jia (everything is nourished) seal, indicating the seal set was specially associated with the Fuchun Hall. A fu chun lou (Fuchun Hall) seal was sold at Beijing Poly, 6 June 2017, lot 5111, which is also carved of white jade with a finial similar in style to the present seal. 2 5/16 in. (5.8 cm.) high, box