A RARE IVORY SEAL

Qing Dynasty or earlier

Qing Dynasty or earlier
Crisply carved as a Buddhist wheel supported on a lotus-petal pedestal, and square seal, the seal face carved in zhuanshu calligraphy reading 'chong shan yi jiao', which may be translated as 'Revere virtue [and] respect the teaching'.
6.6cm (2 5/8in) high.

清或更早 牙雕印章

Provenance:
Parry Collection, London, and thence by descent

來源：
倫敦Parry家族收藏，並由後人保存迄今

An ivory seal carved with the inscription 'Chong shan yi jiao', 'Revere virtue [and] respect teaching' was bestowed in 1443 by the Zhengtong Emperor on the Chong Fu temple in Dingcheng city, Gansu Province. The present seal is likely a reference to the same Imperial saying.

An ivory seal of similar form with a Buddhist Wheel of the Law, but with a dedicatory inscription dated to 1427, from the Mr and Mrs R.H.R. Palmer collection, was exhibited by the Arts Council of Great Britain and the Oriental Ceramic Society, The Arts of the Ming Dynasty, London, 1957, no.371.

據載，明英宗正統皇帝曾於1443年御賜甘肅崇福寺「崇善翊教」象牙印章一具；本例或為以相同印文治印。

參考R.H.R. Palmer伉儷收藏一例1427年制牙雕印章，同以法輪為鈕，曾借展於1957年英國藝術委員會與倫敦東方陶瓷學會於倫敦主辦之「明朝藝術（The Arts of the Ming Dynasty）」大展，展品編號371。