A RARE OFFICIAL'S SILVER SEAL Dated 1772 and of the...
A RARE OFFICIAL'S SILVER SEAL
Dated 1772 and of the period
Of rectangular form surmounted by a cylindrical handle, the top incised with Manchurian and Chinese, the Chinese inscription reading Henan Shandong hedao zong guanfang which means 'The Seal of the Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces', and libu zao which means 'made by the Ministry of Rite'; the seal face cast in Manchurian and Chinese seal script with characters reading Henan Shandong hedao zong guanfang (The Seal of the Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces) and a character jiao (dispose) atop. 12.5cm (5in) high, 1.885kg weight
清乾隆三十七年（1772）銀柱鈕「河南山東河道總督關防」印
「叁拾柒年拾貳月」「禮部造」「河南山東河道總督關防」「繳」款
Provenance: George Stanley Knowles who travelled to China in the mid 19th century and set up an Import and Export business in Harbin
來源： George Stanley Knowles於19世紀中葉前往中國，在中國哈爾濱創建進出口業務生意
The present lot has 98.9% content of silver (Ag).
該拍品銀純度為98.9% (Ag)
Although partially effaced, the inscription to a side of the seal reveals the date 'the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year' (叁拾柒年拾貳月). During the Qing dynasty, only the reigns of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722) and Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) lasted longer than thirty-seven years. The format of the seal further confirms a date of the thirty-seventh year of the Qianlong period (1772), because the Manchurian and Chinese inscriptions cast on the seal face are both in seal script, the practice had not been regulated until the thirteenth year of the Qianlong period (1748). According to Qingchao wenxian tongkao (清朝文獻通考), vol.143, 6095, in 1748, the Qing government 'standardized the Manchurian seal script, and recast the seals of all officials. The Manchurian inscription in seal script is written on the left side, while the Chinese in seal script is written on the right side.' (制清篆，改鑄百官印信。清篆左，漢篆右)
There seals, as the present lot, known as guanfang (關防), were granted to temporarily appointed officials by the Qing emperors and were made of silver and copper according to the ranks of the officials. Hedao zongdu (河道總督) (The Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces), the first rank, controlled maintenance and operation of the Grand Canal and shipping on relevant sections of the Yellow River. In the thirty-seventh year of the Qianlong period when the present lot was cast, Yao Lide 姚立德 (?-1783) was the Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces.
Another feature that makes the present lot extremely rare is the character jiao 繳 (dispose) engraved atop the Chinese and Manchurian inscriptions. According to Qinding daqing huidian shili (欽定大清會典事例), vol.321, in cases where old seals had blurred inscriptions and other issues, each department or provincial governor shall request permission to cast and issue new seals. The old seals to cancel must then be 'engraved with the character jiao (繳) in the centre of the Chinese and Manchurian seal script on the seal face' (于印面滿漢印文正中，鐫一'繳'字), as seen in the present lot. It is very rare to see seals with the character jiao (繳) survive to the present day, as they were usually melted down after been confirmed as the correct seals and delivered to the Ministry of Rite (由部驗明封儲存司，匯齊銷毀).
See a related but later silver official's seal, dated the 4th year of Guangxu (1878), in the Qing court collection, in the Palace Museum Beijing (accession no. 故00231195). See also a related bronze seal, dated 15th year of Qianlong (1750), which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 19 September 2015, lot 944.
Bid on this lot
A RARE OFFICIAL'S SILVER SEAL
Dated 1772 and of the period
Of rectangular form surmounted by a cylindrical handle, the top incised with Manchurian and Chinese, the Chinese inscription reading Henan Shandong hedao zong guanfang which means 'The Seal of the Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces', and libu zao which means 'made by the Ministry of Rite'; the seal face cast in Manchurian and Chinese seal script with characters reading Henan Shandong hedao zong guanfang (The Seal of the Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces) and a character jiao (dispose) atop. 12.5cm (5in) high, 1.885kg weight
清乾隆三十七年（1772）銀柱鈕「河南山東河道總督關防」印
「叁拾柒年拾貳月」「禮部造」「河南山東河道總督關防」「繳」款
Provenance: George Stanley Knowles who travelled to China in the mid 19th century and set up an Import and Export business in Harbin
來源： George Stanley Knowles於19世紀中葉前往中國，在中國哈爾濱創建進出口業務生意
The present lot has 98.9% content of silver (Ag).
該拍品銀純度為98.9% (Ag)
Although partially effaced, the inscription to a side of the seal reveals the date 'the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year' (叁拾柒年拾貳月). During the Qing dynasty, only the reigns of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722) and Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) lasted longer than thirty-seven years. The format of the seal further confirms a date of the thirty-seventh year of the Qianlong period (1772), because the Manchurian and Chinese inscriptions cast on the seal face are both in seal script, the practice had not been regulated until the thirteenth year of the Qianlong period (1748). According to Qingchao wenxian tongkao (清朝文獻通考), vol.143, 6095, in 1748, the Qing government 'standardized the Manchurian seal script, and recast the seals of all officials. The Manchurian inscription in seal script is written on the left side, while the Chinese in seal script is written on the right side.' (制清篆，改鑄百官印信。清篆左，漢篆右)
There seals, as the present lot, known as guanfang (關防), were granted to temporarily appointed officials by the Qing emperors and were made of silver and copper according to the ranks of the officials. Hedao zongdu (河道總督) (The Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces), the first rank, controlled maintenance and operation of the Grand Canal and shipping on relevant sections of the Yellow River. In the thirty-seventh year of the Qianlong period when the present lot was cast, Yao Lide 姚立德 (?-1783) was the Director-general of the Grand Canal of Henan and Shandong Provinces.
Another feature that makes the present lot extremely rare is the character jiao 繳 (dispose) engraved atop the Chinese and Manchurian inscriptions. According to Qinding daqing huidian shili (欽定大清會典事例), vol.321, in cases where old seals had blurred inscriptions and other issues, each department or provincial governor shall request permission to cast and issue new seals. The old seals to cancel must then be 'engraved with the character jiao (繳) in the centre of the Chinese and Manchurian seal script on the seal face' (于印面滿漢印文正中，鐫一'繳'字), as seen in the present lot. It is very rare to see seals with the character jiao (繳) survive to the present day, as they were usually melted down after been confirmed as the correct seals and delivered to the Ministry of Rite (由部驗明封儲存司，匯齊銷毀).
See a related but later silver official's seal, dated the 4th year of Guangxu (1878), in the Qing court collection, in the Palace Museum Beijing (accession no. 故00231195). See also a related bronze seal, dated 15th year of Qianlong (1750), which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 19 September 2015, lot 944.
