From the collection of Lt Victor Aymé Desiré Rahou (1826-98), and then by family descent, come two Qianlong animal carvings: a 3in (7.5cm) white celadon jade pebble carved with a buffalo and two children and a 3½in (9cm) yellow jade figure of a recumbent horse, each of which is guided at €30,000-40,000.
The sale also contains a small 2¾in (7cm) diameter circular white jade Imperial seal made for the personal use of the Jiaqing Emperor, an example which falls into the leisure category of seals used for more private purposes.
Fashioned as a flat disc with a sculptural dragon coiled around the top, the seal is inscribed with the Emperor’s reign title but most unusually the two characters are framed by two slender dragons, a feature recalling one of the most familiar seals of his father, the Qianlong Emperor.
Museum founder
The seal belonged to the French Industrialist, philanthropist and composer Emile Guimet (1836-1918) who founded the eponymous Asian art museum in Pari, and has passed down by descent.
It was one of many seals that he acquired in the early 20th century from the Florine Langweil, a specialist dealer in Asian works of art. The estimate is €600,000-800,000.
