Maintain a Joyful Mind

CHINA; Qing dynasty

A story from the Samyukta Ratna Pitaka Sutra describes a young woman who crosses paths with the Buddha on her way to a garden. She gives way to the Buddha, and as a result of this brief encounter, she is filled with happiness.
This four-character seal adopts an elegant layout and is engraved in a sleek and round seal script with mellow brushstrokes. Characteristics of the Zhejiang school style of seal engraving are observed in the unique and forceful knifing method, and the overall composition is harmonious in the balance of small and large characters.
Yuan Gonggui, also known as Yuanshan, was a seal engraver from Wuxi, Jiangsu. He was mentioned in Continued Seal Engravers’ Biographies, and was said to be particularly skilled in Han clerical script, having studied under Wang Shi.