AN AQUAMARINE 'CHILONG' SQUARE SEAL, QING DYNASTY China, 18th-19th century. The upper section is of trapezoidal form and is finely carved on the top with a recumbent chilong with a long, bifurcated tail. The translucent stone is of a superb, icy blue tone with natural inclusions. Inscriptions: The seal face, 'Jin cang yan yun wu'. Provenance: A noted private collector in the United Kingdom. Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear, remnants of seal paste, the stone with tiny nicks, traces of use and natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Weight: 124.2 g Dimensions: Size 2.8 x 5.1 x 5.1 cm With an old wood box with sliding cover and metal handle. (2) The use of aquamarine for works of art greatly increased after 1759, when the area where it was mined in Xinjiang was conquered by the Chinese. As the material was popular at the Qing Court during the second half of the 18th century and into the early 19th century, large quantities of the stone were sent as tributes to the Court, with the best stones reserved for imperial use. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related but slightly larger (7.6 cm long) aquamarine seal, of near-identical form, also carved with a recumbent chilong and dated 18th-19th century, at Christie's New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art on 22 March 2019, lot 1764, sold for USD 187,500. 清代海藍寶石螭龍鈕方印 中國，十八至十九世紀。方印呈梯形，精雕一橫臥螭龍，尾分叉長。 半透明的石料有極好的冰藍色調，帶有天然內沁。 款識：盡藏煙雲舞 來源：英國一個知名私人收藏 品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損、密封物殘留，微小刻痕，使用痕跡和天然裂縫, 隨著時間的推移，其中一些可能會發展成細小的裂縫。 重量：124.2 克 尺寸：2.8 x 5.1 x 5.1 厘米 老式木蓋盒 (2) 拍賣結果比較：一件相近但更大 (長7.6 厘米) 海藍寶石印，相似形狀，螭龍鈕，十八至十九世紀，見紐約佳士得 Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art 2019年3月22日 lot 1764, 售價USD 187,500。