EARLY QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

The inscriptions on the current seals indicate that they were used as personal seals by Aisin Gioro Zaizhi (1839-1880), the great great grandson of the Qianlong Emperor, and a cousin to the Tongzhi and Guangxu Emperors. The same seal impressions can be found on a number of important paintings and calligraphy, most notably on the revered Pingfu tie, a calligraphic work by the Western Jin master Lu Ji. It is recorded that the Pingfu tie had been through the hands of multiple prominent collectors throughout history, including the Song Emperor Huizong, until it entered the Imperial Household Collection during the Qianlong reign, and was possessed by Qianlong’s mother the Empress Dowager. After the decease of the Empress Dowager, the Pingfu tie was bequeathed to the eleventh son of Qianlong, Yongxing, which was later passed on to Yongxing’s great grandson Zaizhi, original owner of the current seals. It is evident that Zaizhi liked to use these two seals on works treasured by him, since the Pingfu tie is considered the earliest known calligraphic work on paper in the history of China. These two impressions can also be found on a calligraphic work by the early Qing literati Wang Duo, Calligraphy after Wang Wei, now in the Palace Museum Collection (museum no. xin 00086443).

On the current white soapstone, the signature Shang Jun is inscribed. Shangjun is the pseudonym of Zhou Bin, a native of Zhangzhou, Fujian province, who was a renowned carver of seal finials, and is thought to have worked during the mid to late 17th century.