Seal with knob in the shape of a wheel

Symbolic of teaching, the wheel is a standard motif in Buddhist art. The Chinese inscription on the top of this seal gives the date and indicates that it was commissioned for a Tibetan monk, whose name can be transliterated as Yangshidangpu. The seal on the bottom reads jing xie jie lu, or study the law (Buddhism) with diligence.

Credit: Purchase, Harrison Cady Bequest, by exchange, and Erich O. Grunebaum Bequest, 1994