The set of seals is of square section, the warm yellowish-orange soapstone skillfully carved with a mythical beast resting on its haunches on the top of each seal. This set of charming seals is notable for the fine level of detail captured in the small mythical beasts. The vigour of the creature is evident in the muscular body and notched spine together with the animated face which scowls in ferocity.

Tianhuang is a dense variety of nacrite which is traded in China as a gemstone and is used for carvings. The material consists mainly of nacrite, but may also contain minor illite or dickite in varying proportions. The most valuable variety consists of golden yellow nacrite with a coating of colourless, transparent to semi-transparent dickite. This material is only known from the Banlian gravel beds near Shoushan, Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. The Chinese consider Tianhuang stone as a variety of Shoushan stone although true Shoushan stone mainly consists of pyrophyllite.