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Lot Essay
The bottom of this rare seal is cast in intaglio with three elements set within an outer border, which include: what might be a bell or a gong, an altar stand, and a knife. These last two appear on a dish unearthed in the 1950s from tomb no. 172 at Yangzishan, Chengdu, Sichuan province, illustrated by Sun Hua, "A Preliminary Discussion of Ba-Shu Symbols", Ba-Shu kaogu lunwen ji, Beijing, 1987, pl. 9:6. The first symbol, however, does not seem to appear on any other Ba-Shu object.
Knives and stands were used in sacrificial rites and have been found together in archaeological excavations, including those of sites dating to the Shang dynasty.
The animal on the top of the seal may be identified as a ram by the horns which curve behind the ears, as well as by the shape of the head and the short legs. Combined with the symbols on the base it could represent a sacrificial animal.
Knives and stands were used in sacrificial rites and have been found together in archaeological excavations, including those of sites dating to the Shang dynasty.
The animal on the top of the seal may be identified as a ram by the horns which curve behind the ears, as well as by the shape of the head and the short legs. Combined with the symbols on the base it could represent a sacrificial animal.