Chinese Dragon Desk Seal
A fabulous solid silver desk seal richly decorated with a raised dragon motif swirling around the body. The top is crowned with a fierce lion-like face, and the detailed engravings give it a bold, traditional Chinese aesthetic. Its weighty form and intricate craftsmanship make it both functional and decorative.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Height: 7 cm
Condition: Excellent Original Condition
Circa: 1900
Materials: Far Eastern Silver
SKU: 9490
ABOUT
Historically, the Chinese dragon was associated with the emperor of China and used as a symbol to represent imperial power. Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty, claimed that he was conceived after his mother dreamt of a dragon. During the Tang dynasty, emperors wore robes with dragon motif as an imperial symbol, and high officials might also be presented with dragon robes. In the Yuan dynasty, the two-horned, five-clawed dragon was designated for use by the Son of Heaven or emperor only, while the four-clawed dragon was used by the princes and nobles. Similarly, during the Ming and Qing dynasty, the five-clawed dragon was strictly reserved for use by the emperor only. The dragon in the Qing dynasty appeared on the flag of the Qing dynasty.
The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China, though such use is not commonly seen in the People's Republic of China or Taiwan. Instead, it is generally used as the symbol of culture. In Hong Kong, the dragon was a component of the coat of arms under British rule. It was later to become a feature of the design of Brand Hong Kong, a government promotional symbol.
The Chinese dragon has very different connotations from the European dragon – in European cultures, the dragon is a fire-breathing creature with aggressive connotations, whereas the Chinese dragon is a spiritual and cultural symbol that represents prosperity and good luck, as well as a rain deity that fosters harmony.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping
UK shipping is free of charge
We use professional packers and shippers and can normally arrange 3-4 day delivery in the UK and 7-10 day delivery worldwide.
Shipping FAQs
Q: How long does shipping normally take?
A: 3-4 days to mainland UK or 7/10 days for international shipping
Q: Are items insured?
A: All items shipped are fully insured for loss or damage
Q: Do you supply a COA?
A: We offer a Certificate Of Authenticity for every item we sell. For security reasons we normally send these documents separately
Q: What method of payments do you accept?
A: We are happy to accept payment in GBP Sterling by credit card, Paypal or bank transfer.
Returns & Exchange
We are pleased to offer a 14 day full refund policy for items purchased online. If you are unhappy with an item for any reason we would ask you to return the item to us in undamaged condition within 14 days and we will make a full refund of the price paid. Please note that the buyer is responsible for return postage costs.
We are also happy to offer a bespoke service whereby you may exchange any item originally purchased from us for another item from our current selection of stock. Please contact us for further details.