A SET OF THREE ‘FURONG’ SOAPSTONE SEALS

QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

HEIGHTS: (RESPECTIVELY) 2.4CM; 2.3CM; 2.6CM

WEIGHTS: (RESPECTIVELY) 44G; 21.5G; 47.5G

The set is comprised of three seals – two square and one rectangular. Each seal is neatly fashioned with chamfered edges at the top, surmounted by an ingot shaped knop with a loop. The stones are of an attractive creamy-white tone and their surfaces are well polished.

The three seal faces respectively read as follows:

Chunlu 春麓          (Spring Piedmont)
Jianbai zhai shuhua yin 堅白齋書畫印          (Hard White Studio Calligraphy and Painting Seal)
Zhenyou Cheng yin 震佑程印          (Seal of Zhenyou, Cheng)

Cheng Zhenyou 程震佑 (active mid-19th century), personal name ( 字 ) 春霆 and sobriquet Jueyuan 覺園 (Garden for Enlightenment), was a native of She county 歙縣, Anhui (present-day Huangshan 黃山 City). He was appointed a jiansheng 監生 (National University student) from foreign Daxing county 大興縣 (present-day Eastern Beijing), which suggests that his place was purchased for him and not earned by success in county and prefecture examinations. Beginning in 1840, he held various county magistrate positions, including Hejin 河津 in Shanxi. He was a very fine calligrapher and landscape painter, many examples of which have survived.