A RARE AND IMPORTANT MONGOLIAN ‘LONG LIFE AND BOUNDLESS TERRITORIES’ GILT-BRONZE SEAL, DEPICTING A BIXIE, YUAN DYNASTY


Expert’s note:
The seal face is inscribed in Phags-pa, the Mongolian square script, indicating that this seal once belonged to a consort prince.

China, 1279-1368. Finely cast, the rectangular seal surmounted by a recumbent bixie with long scrolling wings lying flat against its back and furcated tail. The face with round bulging eyes, showing finely incised pupils, neatly applied scrolling brows, a broad snout, and curling horn, the mouth agape revealing sharp fangs and tongue.


Inscriptions:
The seal face: ‘Long life and boundless territories’.


Provenance:
French trade. Acquired from a private estate in Paris.

Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age, with significant ancient wear from extensive handling, as well as signs of weathering and corrosion, encrustations, scratches, nicks. Expected casting irregularities. The seal base possibly with minor old fills. The bronze is covered overall in a rich, naturally grown patina with distinct cuprite and malachite encrustations. All consistent with circumstances of burial.

Weight: 814.2 g
Dimensions: Size 4.4 x 6.4 x 6.4 cm


Literature comparison:

Compare a bronze seal, also cast with a four-character inscription in Mongolian Phags-pa script and dated to the Yuan dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, image number K1A001822N000000000PAB.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2983
Price: HKD 150,000 or approx.
EUR 19,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze square seal, Yuan dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related inscription in Mongolian Phags-pa script, as well as the related manner of casting and gilding. Note the smaller size (4.8 cm).




元代蒙古辟邪鈕鎏金銅印

中國，1279-1368年。長方形印章上，一隻辟邪成臥姿，長長的捲曲翅膀平放在它的背部，尾巴分叉。大眼圓睜，眉毛濃密彎曲上揚，口鼻寬大，角捲曲，嘴巴張開，露出鋒利的獠牙和舌頭。


款識：
萬壽無疆


來源：
法國古玩交易，購於巴黎私人遺產。

品相：
狀況良好，大量使用造成的大面積磨損，有風化和腐蝕、結殼、劃痕、刻痕，鑄造不規則。印底座有小舊修補。青銅整體上覆蓋著細膩的自然包漿，並帶有明顯的紅綠結殼，均為長期埋於土裡的關係。

重量：814.2 克
尺寸：4.4 x 6.4 x 6.4 厘米


文獻比較：

比較一件元代銅印，還鑄有蒙古文八思巴四字銘文，收藏於台北故宮博物院，圖像編號K1A001822N000000000PAB。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2018年11月28日，lot 2983
價格：HKD 150,000（相當於今日
EUR 19,500
）
描述：元鎏金銅印
專家評論：比較非常相近的印文（八思巴文），以及相近的鑄造風格和鎏金。請注意尺寸較小 (4.8 厘米)。