This seal shows a lioness with cub poised playfully on the shoulder. The seal has a milky-white glaze with a glassy appearance. It was probably one of the items on a scholar's desk.Seals such as this were fired as blanks and would have been carved later when the future owner decided upon the type of seal mark. The Chinese literati valued beauty that was inspired by nature, and this preference was vividly reflected in the objects they chose for their studios.A scholar's table would include items made of porcelain such as water and ink pots, brush washers and rests, seals, inkstones and other objects.Dehua, located on the southeast coast of Fujian province, is well known for its production of white porcelain, known to Europeans as 'blanc de Chine'. The earliest Dehua porcelain was produced as early as the 14th century but the production and quality of these porcelain peaked around the 17th and 18th centuries.
