A RARE QINGBAI-GLAZED 'MYTHICAL DEER' SEAL, EARLY QING DYNASTY China, 17^th - 18^th century. The square columnar seal surmounted by a recumbent mythical deer, the body finely decorated with trefoil spots and incised with a short mane, the spine with spikes extending to a long tail, the head with distinct pairs of antlers and funnel-shaped ears. The seal face molded with a four-character inscription. Covered overall in a pale blue Qingbai glaze darkening nicely in the recesses.

Inscriptions: The seal face reading 'Raozhoufu yin' (Seal of Raozhou office).

Provenance: British trade.
Condition: Good condition commensurate with age. Some manufacturing irregularities, two antlers reattached, expected glaze lines, fire cracks, minuscule chips to exposed areas, and remnants of seal paste.

Weight: 384.5 g
Dimensions: Height 9.6 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related porcelain 'beast' seal with a similar glaze and also dated to the Qing dynasty in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum with the accession number 79.2.491.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 9 November 2017
Price: GBP 3,750 or approx. EUR 4,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A blanc-de-chine 'qilin' square seal, Zisun Yongbao seal mark, 17th/18th century
Expert's remark: Note that this seal is smaller than the present lot.


清初白鹿鈕方印
中國，十七至十八世紀。神鹿臥鈕，背上飾有三葉斑，並刻有短鬃毛，脊椎有角延伸至長尾，頭部有一對鹿角和耳朵。通體施青白釉，在凹陷處變暗。

款識：饒州府印

來源：英國古玩交易市場。
品相：與年齡相稱的良好狀態。一些製造瑕疵，兩個鹿角重新修復過、預期的冲線、火裂紋、暴露區域的微小碎片和印泥殘留。

重量：384.5克
尺寸：高9.6厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件釉色相近的清代獸鈕瓷方印，收藏於大都會博物館，編號79.2.491。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2017年9月11日
價格：GBP 3,750（相當於今日EUR 5,000）
描述：十七或十八世紀 德化白瓷麒麟鈕「子孫寶用」印
專家評論：請注意此印尺寸較小。