Chinese Scholar’s Seal with Celestial Horse and 馬到成功 – Late Qing/Republic

Chinese scholar's seal with celestial horse

Origin: China
Period: Late Qing / Republic period, ca. 1880–1930
Material: yellow-green hardstone, not mineralogically tested
Dimensions: H 3.7 × W 4.7 cm
Weight: 200 g
Seal text: 馬到成功 (Mǎ dào chéng gōng)

Horse motif and auspicious inscription

Cut as a compact square seal, the upper face carries an archaistic winged horse, identifiable in the context of the inscription as a Tianma or celestial-horse type. The phrase 馬到成功 is a traditional expression wishing immediate and successful accomplishment, making the image and inscription a deliberately unified design.

Carving and surface

The base bears the four characters in an archaistic seal-script treatment. The yellow-green stone has a smooth waxy feel, rounded engraved edges, fine surface pitting and localized white deposits. These areas have been left untouched rather than cleaned or polished.

Catalogue note

A small Chinese scholar’s object with strong visual and calligraphic content. The exact mineral species has not been established by laboratory analysis and is therefore catalogued conservatively as hardstone.

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