Seal with Chi-Dragon Knob

This square seal, engraved in archaic Chinese seal script, was made in the first year of the Yongzheng reign. It is carved from Shoushan stone, named after Shoushan village in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Archival records indicate that Emperor Yongzheng instructed three individuals, including Hanlin academicians and craftsmen, to each design a version of the inscription ‘Imperial Seal of the Yongzheng Emperor’. The emperor personally revised the thickness and structure of the strokes and chose an auspicious date for the engraving – a testimony to the importance he placed on the piece. Among Qing emperors, Yongzheng’s fondness for Shoushan stone was unique; most of his seals were made of this material.