Six-Sided Wood Seal Set Carved by Literati Gao Shiqi from Jiangcun, Dingchou Year, Qing Dynasty, 19th Century

拍品描述

Measurements:Height 8 cm / 3.15 inches, length & width 5.8 cm / 2.28 inches, total weight 241.6 grams, Qing Dynasty, 19th Century, Category: Scholar’s Desk Miscellany, Primary trading market: New YorkCondition & Provenance:The square seal base is fully carved from solid hardwood, with six embedded square seal slabs fitting perfectly without looseness or detachment. The wood develops thick, naturally aged warm reddish-brown patina with soft matte texture from centuries of handling, no modern artificial staining or wax restoration. The seal script characters on all six faces are evenly carved with consistent depth, smooth intact strokes free of chipping, heavy wear or broken lines. The running script inscription “Dingchou Spring, Gao Shiqi of Jiangcun” carved on the vertical side remains crisp and sharply defined without fading or blurring. Only minor natural edge wear from long-term use exists; no wood cracks, insect erosion, splicing or repair work anywhere. Residues of ancient cinnabar ink still remain on every carving surface, preserving authentic original usage traces. This multi-sided wood seal was a personal scholarly tool for Gao Shiqi, a late Qing literati from Jiangnan. It circulated through antique bookstores in Shanghai during the Republic of China, was transported to North America by a collector in 1989, and fully acquired in 2012 by a dedicated scholar’s desk antiques private collector based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It has been stored long-term in temperature and humidity controlled dry storage, only lightly wiped with soft cloths, retaining fully untouched original passed-down condition with complete traceable overseas collection provenance records.Object Description:This intact six-in-one composite wood seal was hand-carved by Qing literati Gao Shiqi, an extremely rare multi-face seal specimen among antique Chinese scholar’s desk collectibles, ranking as a high-tier carved writing tool treasure. Crafted into a neat square block of dense aged hardwood, the base is precisely hollowed to fit six individual seal plates, each engraved with distinct ancient seal script auspicious phrases and studio stamps. The seal calligraphy balances solemn Han Dynasty seal styling with the fluid, creative charm unique to late Qing literati carving. The vertical running script colophon records the maker and exact carving year, serving as critical textual evidence for dating and academic research. Each of the six seal faces serves a separate function, including painting appreciation stamps, library collection marks and poetic inscription seals, enabling multiple applications with one single vessel for ancient literati’s paintings, books and letters. Complete six-sided wood seal sets from the Qing Dynasty are extremely scarce in the antique market; well-preserved specimens bearing original maker dating, fully intact carving on all six faces, natural untouched wooden patina without modern restoration are top-tier collectibles. This artifact delivers irreplaceable research value for Qing Dynasty seal carving craft, profound cultural insight into traditional Chinese literati studio aesthetics, and elite market rarity, consistently hunted by veteran desk antique collectors across New York and Pennsylvania.

图片