A seal, also known as a seal, is used as a stationery to indicate identification or signature on a document. Generally, a seal is first coated with ink before being printed. If it is not coated with ink, it will appear concave and convex when printed on a flat surface, which is called a steel seal. Some are wax seals printed on wax, lacquer, or envelopes. Different eras have seals that belong to the cultural characteristics of that time.

Every stroke is a culture

One seal and one carving are full of sword skills

Go through the vicissitudes without changing your true colors

Let's take a look at the historical trajectory of seal development together!

Warring States Ancient Seal

The ancient seal of the Warring States period is a general term for pre Qin seals. Most of the earliest seals we can see now are ancient seals from the Warring States period. The strokes of the seal are as fine as a hair, all made by casting. Most Bai Wen ancient seals have sidebars or a vertical grid added in the middle, and the characters are cast with chisels. In addition to the names "Sima" and "Situ", the official seal also has various irregular shapes, and the content is engraved with auspicious language and vivid object patterns.

▲ Warring States Ancient Seal

Qin Seal

The Qin seal refers to the popular seal from the late Warring States period to the early Western Han Dynasty, and the language used is called the Qin seal. Judging from its style, Qin and Han dynasties, as well as Qin stone carvings and other characters, it is very similar, making it easier to understand than ancient Chinese characters from the Warring States period. Qin seals are mostly chiseled in white script, with the "Tian" character grid on the printing surface, mostly square. The official seal used by junior officials is about half the size of a regular square official seal, forming a rectangular shape with the "Ri" character grid, known as the "Half Pass Seal". Private seals generally prefer to be rectangular in shape, in addition to circular and elliptical forms. In addition to official names, names, and auspicious language, there are also sayings and idioms such as "respecting things", "wanting to achieve one's aspirations", and "harmony with others" that are included in the seal.

▲ Qin seal

Han official seal

Broadly speaking, it is a general term for official seals from the Han to Wei and Jin dynasties. Compared with the Qin seal script, the seal script is more neat, with a straight and square structure, and a powerful and dignified style. The handicraft industry in the late Western Han Dynasty was very developed, so the official seals of the New Mang era ("Xin" is the name of Wang Mang's dynasty) were particularly exquisite and vivid. The seal art of the Han Dynasty reached its peak, thus becoming a model for later seal carvers to learn from. The official seals of the Han Dynasty were mostly in white script, both of which were cast. Only a small number of military officials urgently need and do not cast official seals for their brother ethnic groups.

▲ Han official seal

Seal of Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties

The official and private seal forms and button systems of the Wei and Jin dynasties both followed the Han Dynasty, but their casting was not as exquisite as the Han seal. The official seal passed down from generation to generation for brother ethnic groups has a large number of characters, and is carved like a chisel with a knife. The calligraphy style is characterized by a relaxed and natural style, thus becoming a representative of the seal cutting style of a period. There were not many seals handed down in the Northern and Southern dynasties. The official seal was a little larger, and the characters were carved carelessly. The official seal was not cast.

▲ Seal of Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties

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