Chinese Soapstone Seal with Shou Lao, C20th

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Auction Start: 24/06/25 21:00:00 UTC
Auction Ending: 10/07/25 20:12:00 UTC
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LOT NUMBER 37
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LOT NUMBER 37

Chinese Soapstone Seal with Shou Lao, C20th

A Chinese soapstone seal of cylindrical tubular form with the figure of Shou Lao on a pedestal, the base with incised script characters. Soapstone was first used by the Chinese over three thousand years ago but began its popularity in the Ming dynasty (1368 -1644) with the height of production during the ensuing Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911) and then beyond into the twentieth century. The style of carving here, fairly coarse and lacking in detail, suggests fairly late work but is expressive, nevertheless. The figure represented is the famous god of immortality, Shou Lao. As often he is represented as an old man with a long beard, a high forehead and a bald head, carrying a peach (which represents immortality) and a staff. The pedestal is decorated with an incised stylised landscape scene and to the reverse is a circular panel containing the character ‘shou’ which means longevity. The seal characters, which unfortunately cannot be translated but probably represent the name of the owner, are stained with the red ink which would have been used when the seal was stamped.
Size: H 10 cm W 3 cm
Weight: 189 grams with box
Date: Late 20th century
Condition: Good condition, no issues
Estimate: £20 – 30

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