Very small seal carved from a piece of walnut. Such seals were often worn as beads which explains the hole through the centre. The other side shows a monkey holding a peach. There is a pumpkin above his head. A monkey holding a peach expresses the wish that the wearer and his descendants may enjoy a long life. It comes from the rebus ‘Feng Hou Bao Shou’ which means ‘May you embrace immortality’. ‘Feng’ means Confer upon. ‘Hou’ is the Monkey. ‘Bao’ means Hold and ‘Shou’ means Longevity. The pumpkin represents the wish for many descendants because of its many seeds. We have not been able to decipher the characters of the seal. The material from which this small gem is carved, is quite hard and therefore difficult to carve. The seal dates from the Qing period (1644 – 1912). Length 2.3 cm. Width 1.7 cm. Height 1.4 cm.