PROPERTY FROM THE ROBERT W. AND MEE-DIN MOORE COLLECTION A SMALL DARK-HONEY SOAPSTONE SEALSigned Chen Julai (1904-1984), and cyclical date jiaxu year, corresponding to 1934, the seal form possibly earlier The square top surmounted by a seated mythical winged beast bixie coiling slightly to one side, the stone with slight translucency at the edges and with attractive orange and darker inclusions, the four-character seal to the base reading Dao fa ziran (Dao models itself on self-being), the inscription on the side of the seal reading "carved by Julai in the summer of jiaxu year." 2 1/16in (5.2cm) high and 7/8in (2.2cm) square 1934年 陳巨來 壽山石辟邪紐印章 邊款：甲戌年夏六月巨來刻石 印文：道法自然 Chen Jia (1904-1984), stylename Julai, native of Zhapu town, Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, is a well-known seal carver, calligrapher, painter and poet active in the 20th-century Shanghai. He studied art with the famous artist Zhao Shuru (1874-1945) when he was 20-year-old, and entered the social circle of artists such as Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) and Wu Hufan (1894-1968), whomissioned a great number of seals from Chen Julai. For an example, see a tianhuang soapstone seal with chilong finial Chen Julai carved for Wu Hufan, reading mingxin juepin , sold at Xiling Yinshe Auction Co.Ltd., Hangzhou, on 13 December 2019, lot 298, currently in the collection of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum; see http://www.ncha.gov.cn/art/2020/7/7/art_723_161723.html .