square base with Wheel of Law as knob, resting on double lotus plinth; spoked wheel with edging of groups of three circles

Seal, 1428

Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more

Ivoryexpand_more

Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more  98.171.1

On View in Gallery 217expand_more

Dated by inscription to the second year of Hsuan-te (1428), this official seal is carved on top with the Buddhist Wheel of Law (Dharmacakra), which symbolizes the everlasting truth of the Buddha's teachings. The seal was made for Ma so nan ling ch'an, a Tibetan lama who apparently visited Peking in 1428. It is one of only a few surviving documentary ivory seals from the early Ming period commissioned by the Chinese court as gifts for important Tibetan lamas.

file_downloadprintshare
arrow_back back
Details
Title
Seal
Role
Artist
Accession Number
98.171.1
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

800px

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

square base with Wheel of Law as knob, resting on double lotus plinth; spoked wheel with edging of groups of three circles

Error loading high resolution image. Report this problem.