Steatite seal carved with dragons, China, 19th century Worked in an ochre-beige stone showing gray and wine-lees inclusions, it is carved in relief on the top with two scaled dragons among clouds. The heads and eyes have been skilfully worked in veins of color to give them a fierce expression. An incised cloud motif continues down all four sides of the seal. It bears two incised inscriptions in French: "Pékin 8 octobre 1860..." and "Sceau tartare du Gd Fout...". The underside is engraved with the four characters: 爲經緣督. If the date is anything to go by, this seal could have come from the sack of the Summer Palace in Peking, during the Second Opium War. Height: 9.4 cm The characters, 緣督爲經, yuan from the wei jing, when combined, form a phrase that can be roughly translated as "to follow predestination as a guide". It's an expression that emphasizes the idea of following the natural course of things, or following destiny. It can also have a spiritual or philosophical connotation, and is often used in a context of reflection on life and destiny.