Japanese elephant tusk ivory seal with a shishi (Chinese lion) finial. Early 20th century. The shishi has inlaid eyes, and he is standing with his front paws resting on a ball. There is an intact cut seal written in archaic characters on the bottom. Seals engraved in wood, stone, metal or ivory have been widely used since ancient times, both in China and Japan. The supplement, or in some cases, replace the written signature, and they are attached to documents and books of all kinds as well as to works of art. They are usually written in archaic characters which are illegible to the ordinary reader and require a special study to be read. In order to print them, the seals are pressed in a damp red paste, which serves as an inking pad. Overall condition is excellent; however, one of the inlaid eyes is missing. Dimensions: 2 ½” high, 1 ½” wide, ½” deep.
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