Bidspirit auction | Tianhuang Stone Seal with Beast

Tianhuang Stone Seal with Beast Knob — Property of Li Hongyi - The seal knob is exquisitely carved in high relief with a design of coiling chilong dragons. Several auspicious beasts twist and embrace in a ring—some rearing upward in bold ascent, others turning toward one another in playful companionship—each distinct in posture yet united in spirit. Their bodies are powerful and supple, rendered in smooth, flowing lines; scales, claws, and manes are incised with meticulous precision. At the centre lies a Taiji mirror motif, encircled and guarded by the beasts, arranged with masterful spacing—richly layered yet never crowded. The carving is rounded and fluent, faithful to the imperial Workshops tradition established since the Qianlong era: majestic yet lively, opulent yet refined—truly a consummate example of knob carving.