Antique Chinese Qing Dynasty Carved Fu-Dog Crystal Seal. The top hand grip carved with characterized Fu dog crouching on its four legs, its talon feet tucked under the plump body, with the head facing front, with jaw agape snarling to expose teeth and a tongue. The cuboid seal chop carved with Manchurian scripts. Measurements: Height: 2 5/8" Width: 1 7/8" Depth: 1 3/8" LOT NOTES:The Fu-Dogs are an important motif in Chinese mythology. These motifs include a particular dog which accompanies a hero, the dog as one of the twelve totem creatures for which years are named, a dog giving first provision of grain which allowed current agriculture, and claims of having a magical dog as an original ancestor in the case of certain ethnic groups. For thousands of years, a twelve-year cycle named after various real or mythological animals has been used in Southeast Asia. This twelve-year cycle, sometimes referred to as the "Chinese zodiac," associates each year in turn with a certain creature, in a fixed order of twelve animals, after which it returns to the first in the order, the Rat. The eleventh in the cycle is the Dog.Dogs and humans are friends who share life's ups and downs. It's believed that the Dog is caring and reasonable due to its unswerving loyalty to humans, having many symbolic cultural meanings from the perspective of folklore. The symbolic cultural meanings and legends of the Dog are the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the ancient people. For High Resolution Images, please use this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nistxgdbviiy9am/AABXVKFL_ENax6zAu6onsaLga?dl=0