Many historical pieces of Chinese art feature rectangular bright red emblems in place of a signature. These emblems, or seals, originate around the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC) and can be carved from a variety of materials. Although being disruptive to the piece, seals have played an important part in the development of individual and societal power in China.
As different clans and leaders began gaining prevalence and land, there birthed a need to verify the validity of documents and shipments. At the time they were first introduced, important shipments were made in wooden crates sealed with clay. They would use a seal sporting the clans symbol to permanently mark the clay before it had dried. This helped to ensure both the protection and authenticity of the goods.
After the development and importance of paper documents, more complex seals came up as a direct sign of authority, almost akin to wearing flashier clothing to show wealth. Simply owning a seal meant that that individual had significant power. Thus brought about commissions for more and more complex seals, implementing entire phrases beyond just a name or symbol. It was a kin to wearing flashier clothing to show wealth, but instead decorating a document with that power.
The production of seals could only properly be done by a master of the craft due to the nature of the medium. They had to be both great calligraphers and carvers. Seals ranged from small to medium sizes and often needed to implement several different characters into one box. A master had to understand typography in order to manipulate stroke width and length to create a balanced seal and maximize that small space. They also had to know how to properly carve several different materials like wood and stone.
As the economy grew and more common people gained funds, seals became a need for people outside of the government. Artists and curators alike used seals to sign their pieces. A curator’s literal seal of approval could increase the perceived value of a painting. Over time, many paintings could gain several seals, but this only made them more valuable despite being disruptive to the piece. Eventually, common people also gained access to seals for private usage. These seals often prioritized poetic phrasing to give a sense of personality and most often sending a small blessing to the other.
Bibliography:
“Chinese Seals.” Chinese Seals | Chinese Art Gallery | China Online Museum, http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/carving-seals.php.
“Gold ‘Seal of the Great Qing Succession of the Son of Heaven.’” Gold “Seal of the Great Qing Succession of the Son of Heaven”|The Palace Museum, https://en.dpm.org.cn/collections/collections/2019-08-26/5774.html.
“Introduction to Chinese Seals.” Origin of Chinese Seals, http://www.art-virtue.com/seals/introduction/intro.htm.
Jiang, Fercility. “Chinese Seals.” Chinese Seals – History, Importantance, Uses, Production, https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/chinese-seals.htm#:~:text=The%20seal%20was%20first%20created,used%20by%20those%20in%20power.
“What Is the History and Usage of Chinese Seals (印章/Yin Zhang/Yin Chang: History and Usage)?” ASIAN BRUSHPAINTER, https://www.asianbrushpainter.com/blogs/kb/what-is-the-history-and-usage-of-chinese-seals.
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