Really huge and impressive shoushan-stone seal topped by a ‘bixie’ (辟邪) and its young. A ‘bixie’ is a mythological, lion-like, creature comparable to a ‘chimera’. Two sides of the seal are inscribed with Chinese characters and the bottom shows a mysterious depiction of a crowned figure with ten arms holding weapons. Was it the seal of a secret society? We do not know. The artist who made this seal was a famous painter and seal carver called Lai Chu Sheng (来楚生) who was born in Wuchang (武昌) in 1903. He moved to Shanghai in 1937 and had a solo-exhibition of his paintings in the city in 1947. Height 14 cm. Width 8.8 cm. Depth 8.8 cm.