A TIANHUANG ‘BUDDHIST LION AND CUB’ SEAL, QING DYNASTYChina, first half of the 19th century. Of square section, surmounted by a seated lion with its head turned towards its cub, one paw holding it down, their snouts gently touching and eyes interlocked. The mane, paws, and bushy tails finely carved and incised, the claws and spine well detailed. The seal face inscribed with a section of a poem by Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi. The stone of a magnificent and even amber-orange color.Inscriptions: The seal face inscribed ‘Ma jiang song gong shou, xin yu zhu ju kong’ (The appearance of the pine is thin, the heart is empty like a bamboo).Provenance: West Berkshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.Condition: Excellent condition with expected old wear, light scratches, little nibbling to edges, the stone with natural fissures and inclusions.Weight: 86.0 gDimensions: Size 4.1 x 3.9 x 3.6 cmThe fine coloration and luminosity of this tianhuang stone are skillfully accentuated through its intricately carved details which reveal the layers of subtle golden hues. Thebination of carving in the round and low-relief detailing effectively captures the sunlight as it shines on and passes through the seal to further intensify the richness of color.Tianhuang is a type of soapstone that is valued for its warm tones of amber and egg yolk as well as its lustrous sheen and was considered the rival to the finest and purest jade. Apart from being graded by its color, tianhuang was also priced according to its weight rather than size, hence making it one of the most expensive materials to carve.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 October 2015, lot 3734Price: HKD 1,937,500 or approx.EUR271,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A tianhuang 'Buddhist lion' seal, Qing dynastyExpert remark:pare the related motif, carving style, facial expressions, color of the stone, and size (4.9 x 3 x 3 cm)Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2019, lot 546Price: HKD 312,500 or approx.EUR 40,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A finely carved soapstone 'lion' seal, Qing dynastyExpert remark:pare the related motif, carving style, color of the stone, and size (3.8 x 3.1 x 3.1 cm)Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Galerie Zacke Vienna, 15 October 2021, lot 51Price: EUR 13,904 or approx.EUR 15,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved tianhuang ‘qilin’ seal for Wen Xiang, Qing dynastyExpert remark:pare the related motif and color of the stone. Note the size (4.8 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm).清代太獅少獅田黃印中國，十九世紀上半葉。方印，印鈕雕刻一頭坐獅，它的頭轉向它的幼崽，用一隻爪子按住它，它們的鼻子親暱地相碰，眼睛相對。細節精美。印面刻有唐代詩人白居易的一段詩句。石料