Chop Seals

The chop seal was created in China in 221 BC. They were originally only meant for people in power or those high in society. Seals started to become more common in all classes. They were used to stamp everything, government documents, receipts, sign letters, almost anything you can think of.

Common carvings include Chinese characters, landscapes, figures, birds, or flowers. The seals were carved out of many different things, soapstone, wood, ivory, gold, jade, and even some metals. They were engraved the symbols by hand in reverse to stamp properly.
In modern times, chop seals are still used largely in Asia and to prevent forgery the seals have to be registered and are used as legally binding devices.

Source https://www.throughouthistory.com/?p=2988 https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/chinese-seals.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_(East_Asia)
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