The History And Use Of Chinese Seals

A Chinese seal is a stamp of sorts, used in place of a signature. Chinese seals are typically made of stone, but can also be made of metals, bamboo, plastic, wood, or ivory. The medium used is usually red ink or cinnabar paste. With the unique symbol to represent the name of the user carved into the stone or other material, it works just like a rubber stamp, leaving a print of the image on a piece of art or a document.

There are three types of Chinese seals. The first is the Zhuwen seals, which imprint Chinese characters in red ink; they are sometimes called Yang seals. Baiwen seals leave a print of a red background, with the image standing out because it is left natural. These are also referred to as yin stamps. Finally, the Zhubaiwen Xiangiinyan seal uses a combination of Zhuwen and Baiwen.

Chinese seals were not always used or looked at as works of art. They were made for emperors to use as their identification symbols in creating and signing legal documents. Seals for the emperors and their families were large seals, often made of jade. The historic Heirloom Seal of the Realm was created by Qin Shishuang, and was considered a device by which to legitimize his "Mandate of Heaven." It was passed down through the years, but was lost during the Ming Dynasty. Various royal seals have been created since then. Chinese seals made for personal use can be used to identify oneself on a work of art, in the cover of a book, or as a signature. A seal can be created to represent a group or company, or it can be inscribed with a poem or proverb. They are often seen on works of Chinese calligraphy or paintings as a signature from the artist.

The seal paste used is generally one of two options. The first is made with silk; finely pulverized cinnabar, an ore of mercury, is mixed with castor oil and silk strands. With the silk strands to bind the mixture together, a thick mixture results, with a dark, oily appearance. Seal paste may also be made with plants. In this case, finely pulverized cinnabar and castor oil are mixed with moxa punk, a substance created from crushing moxibustion. Moxibustion is an herb indigenous to China.

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