Bidspirit auction | Pu Xinyu — A 'Great

Pu Xinyu — A 'Great & Lesser Lion' Seal in White Shoushan Stone - This seal was either carved by Pu Xinyu’s own hand or for his personal use. A member of the Qing imperial house and direct descendant of Prince Gong, Pu Xinyu excelled in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal‑carving — ranking alongside Zhang Daqian as the celebrated “Southern Zhang and Northern Pu.” His seal style favours elegant simplicity and expressive resonance, achieving quiet nobility without elaborate ornament; he cherished fine stones of the Ming and Qing dynasties above all. This seal’s warm, lustrous stone, archaic knob, and dignified symbolism perfectly mirror his station and aesthetic: noble yet refined, splendid yet unostentatious — quintessentially Pu’s manner. Pu Xinyu upheld integrity and family tradition throughout his life, honouring the ideal of “upholding purity and bequeathing scholarship through generations.” Modelled as “paired lions in companionship,” the design embodies hopes for enduring lineage, the transmission of heritage, paternal guidance, and the emergence of worthy successors. More than a scholar’s ornament, it stands as tangible testament to his spirit and ancestral virtue.