GUGONG XINPIAN DI WU JI: QINGDAI BAOXI: (Gugong Card Compilation No 5: Qing Dynasty Seals)

14x9cm, List of contents on inside cover of box. 100 loose cards each bearing an image in red of a seal. Chinese text on each card. // A wonderful compilation of 100 imperial seals from the Qing dynasty used by the emperors for state and official purposes. Also seals used by empresses, most notably the Dowager Empress, Cixi. Many of the seals appear to be reproduced actual size or nearly so. All are illustrated in red. Each card shows one seal impression and is accompanied by a brief description of the seal, the characters carved, dimensions and size. A complete list of the 100 seals is on the inside of the box. An early production by the then recently-established Forbidden City Gugong Palace Museum. With an original seal impression in red on paper attached to the bottom of the box reading: Gugong Bowuyuan Banquan zhi Yin (Copyright Seal of the Gugong Museum). All text in Chinese. A complete set of 100. Very rare. A terrific thing. The box with wear and tear, but easily repairable. The cards themselves all fine.…