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Subject:19th ct. soapstone seals. Translation of script.
Posted By: Corey Sun, Dec 17, 2017 IP: 80.71.142.92

These two "tianhuang style" soapstone seals were sold at Bruun Rasmussen november 29 for DKK1,1M against an estimate at DKK10-20K:

https://bruun-rasmussen.dk/m/lots/68370B88CB2C

It must be because they are either imperial or made by some famous artist. If someone here could assist with the translation of the script, it would be great.

Subject:Re: 19th ct. soapstone seals. Translation of script.
Posted By: Corey Fri, Dec 22, 2017

I guess translation of the seal script was to big a task for the frequenters of this board. Or perhaps they didn't find the seals as interesting as the buyer who paid more than 200,000 dollars for them.

There were by the way a couple other surprising results in that sale. A Kangxi period Buddha that sold for DKK1.8M against an estimate of DKK75K:

http://www.mynewsdesk.com/dk/bruun-rasmussen-kunstauktioner/images/buddha-siddende-paa-lotustrone-kangxi-1662-1722-vaegt-5920-gr-h-27-cm-1136429

While I would never have guessed that one to be severely underestimated, this Qianlong marked blue and white vase that was dated to 19th century and estimated at DKK30K would probably have been relatively easy to correctly identify as mark and period with an online search and comparison of examples in reference books. It sold for DKK1.2M:

https://bruun-rasmussen.dk/m/lots/FFE70C6C83AA?auction_day_id=1005594&status=sold

Subject:Re: 19th ct. soapstone seals. Translation of script.
Posted By: mikeoz Sun, Dec 24, 2017

I think I can understand why others have been slow to offer translations of the seal carving. It doesn't appear to be a very flattering expression.

The first character is Cu (pronounced something like 'tsu') 麤 (also written as 粗, 觕 or 麁) meaning 'coarse, rough and unrefined'.

the second character appears to be Ding 定, but in a search through more than 100 examples of the character as carved by Qing dynasty seal carvers, only one had the supernumerary stroke above the 正 element.

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Subject:Re: 19th ct. soapstone seals. Translation of script.
Posted By: Corey Wed, Dec 27, 2017

Thanks for the reply and the assistance with the translation. Doesn't make much sense to me. But one of the seals is engraved with a poem(?), and I think that the character inside the square might be an artists signature. Can you confirm that it's a signature?



Subject:Re: 19th ct. soapstone seals. Translation of script.
Posted By: Corey Sat, Jan 27, 2018

If someone else her could assist wtih the identification of the charater inside the square, it would be great. But there is an article about the seals in the Antiques Trade Gazette. Log in required though. Might buy acess to that site myself.

https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/print-edition/2017/december/2321/international/boxer-rebellion-link-backs-soapstone-sale/


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