Boxwood Square Seal Recumbent Boar Knob, Qing Dynasty

拍品描述

Measurements:Overall height 10 cm / 3.94 inches, seal face width & length 8.5 cm / 3.35 inches, total weight 510.5 grams, Qing Dynasty, Category: Wooden Scholar’s Seal, Miscellaneous Works of Art, Primary trading markets: New York, VancouverCondition & Provenance:The seal is carved from a single solid block of premium boxwood, with the recumbent boar knob and square seal base integrated without splicing or adhesive joints; the wood core remains solid and stable. Generations of hand handling yielded a thick, glossy natural reddish-brown patina covering the entire piece, with clear wood grain visible beneath the smooth unvarnished surface, free of artificial staining or lacquer finishing. The boar carving features soft, rounded flowing contours, intact swirling ruyi cloud motifs, crisp facial features and limbs with no deep chips or large abrasions. The seal face bears nine-fold seal script characters with balanced, uniform carving depth; script lines remain legible, only minor light edge wear from centuries of stamping use. Fine, shallow age cracks appear naturally on the wood surface, with no penetrating splits, wood patch repairs, dowel reinforcements or wood rot from insect damage. This scholarly seal originated from a Qing literati collection, circulated among Shanghai antique collectors during the Republic of China, and was shipped overseas alongside its collection in 1948. It entered the private collection of a Florida-based classical Chinese scholar’s art collector in Miami, USA in 1999. The artifact has been stored long-term in temperature-controlled dark storage, only gently wiped with soft cloths for maintenance, preserving untouched original patina and carving details with fully traceable overseas collection archives.Object Description:This large boxwood seal with carved boar knob is a museum-grade Qing Dynasty scholar’s desk treasure, a standout specimen among antique Chinese wooden seals for its generous scale, intact carving and pristine natural patina. The entire piece is carved monolithically from one block of boxwood, split into two distinct sections: a thick square seal plinth and a fully rounded recumbent sacred boar finial. The boar rests in a relaxed supine pose with plump, rounded proportions, curled spiral ears and realistic snout details, surrounded by flowing ruyi cloud scrolls that blend lifelike animal carving with traditional auspicious ornamentation; boar iconography symbolizes abundance, stability and wealth in ancient Chinese folk culture. The square stamp face is fully engraved with nine-fold seal script intaglio characters, featuring balanced layout, graceful uniform calligraphic lines and steady, skilled carving consistent with official Qing Dynasty seal carving standards. Boxwood boasts an exceptionally fine, dense grain, developing a translucent reddish aged patina over hundreds of years of gentle handling with a silky smooth tactile finish. Large intact Qing boxwood seals with fully sculpted mythical creature knobs are exceedingly scarce on the global antique market. This artifact delivers multi-layered collectible value spanning ancient Chinese seal calligraphy, classical wood carving craft and scholar’s desk cultural artifacts, consistently highly sought after within New York and Vancouver auctions specializing in Asian miscellaneous art.

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