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From the history of Chinese seals

It's hard not to notice that in Lately interest in oriental culture increased. Chinese and Japanese restaurants, Indian incense and oriental philosophy are at the height of fashion. What is this: simple human curiosity, the desire to become familiar with the unknown, the exotic, or is it true that the Russians are Asians with European appearance?

Be that as it may, I catch myself thinking that I really want to respond to a fashionable hobby. I hope that the readers of our blog (印章 yinzhang) will also be interested in plunging into the history of the origin and development of Chinese seals)

Seal engraving is included in the list of traditional Chinese arts along with painting, calligraphy And poetry. The red seal is not only the signature of a calligrapher or artist, but also a separate work of art.

The history of this art goes back about 3700 years. It flourished during the Qin dynasty, that is, 22 centuries ago. Back then, people engraved their name on personal belongings and documents (then bamboo or wooden) to attest to the ownership of the owner or author. Over time, the tradition arose of carving one's personal name on small pieces of horn, jasper or wood - what we now call a seal.

Just like in other countries of the world, in China, seals were used both on official documents and on personal papers. Already from the era of the Warring States (475-221 BC), the ruler gave seals to high-ranking officials, as symbol of power. Private seals were used to identify various documents and how symbols of good luck.

The hieroglyphs on the seal could have been engraved boldly(when the image is convex) or intaglio(when the image is cropped). Based on the material used for printing, it was possible to determine the position of the owner in society. Ordinary residents tended to use seals made of wood, stone, or horn, while famous poets and officials preferred seals made of red Changhua stone, jasper, agate, crystal, ivory, and other valuable materials. Gold and precious stones were used to make imperial seals. Nowadays, Chinese officials of the central government use seals made of metal, and at the lower level - of wood.

The art of seal making requires mastery in three areas: calligraphy, compositions And engraving. The engraver must be able to work with various materials (stone, metal or ivory).

Seals with designs (肖形印 xiaoxingyin)

There is another type of seal engraving - engraving of drawings. In general, the technique of engraving an image on a seal is, in general, practically no different from ordinary engraving. The only difference is the lack of space. Therefore, engraving of drawings on a seal is called miniature.

A variety of designs already existed during the Han Dynasty. Ancient seals discovered during excavations on various objects depicted dragons and phoenixes, tigers, cranes and other animals, bringing good luck. You can also find drawings chickens, ducks, sheep, geese and fish. In addition, scenes from life were often depicted: dancing, playing musical instruments or hunting. The small seal, rarely larger than the size of an ordinary postage stamp, reflected the life of the author's contemporaries, local and national characteristics.

With the development of the tourism industry in China, souvenir stamps with images of the Great Wall, the tricolor clay horse of the Tang era, etc. appeared in stores near historical monuments. This is how traditional art found practical use and in our days.

Stones for making seals

Red stone (鸡血石 jixueshi)

"Jixueshi" (literally stone the color of chicken blood) is considered a precious stone in China and is used to make seals. A piece of this rare stone can cost up to 10,000 yuan. It contains cinnabar and pyrophyllite. It got its name from its bright red color, like chicken blood. Pyrophyllite, on the contrary, happens different colors- white, yellow, grey, green or black - which, in combination with red, create a unique pattern that humans cannot reproduce. The market value of a stone depends on the amount of red, its brightness, purity and degree of transparency.

Tianhuang stone (田黄 tianhuang)

"Tianhuang" is a type of stone that is considered the most valuable material for sculpture in China. Therefore, he is even called the “Emperor of Stones.” In the past, one ounce of this stone was worth as much as an ounce of gold; now it is valued even more. In the fall of 1996, the Beijing Hanhai company auctioned a Qing seal made of Tianhuang stone, weighing 460 grams, with a starting price of 300,000 yuan, and the seal was sold for 1.4 million yuan. This is the most expensive Tianhuang stone known in the world. In China, this stone, wet in appearance, is considered the best material for engraving seals.

Ink paste for stamps (印泥 yinni)

The ink paste used to make a seal is called in Chinese "yinni"(ink clay). The origin of the name is due to the fact that in ancient times clay was used to seal official documents, much like sealing wax is in modern times. Later, the word “inni” began to be used to refer to a traditional replacement for an ink pad - a paste, usually red.

The high-quality ink paste contains 8 components: cinnabar, pearls, musk, coral, ruby, castor oil, red dye and moxa. This composition is also called "8-Jewel Paste". It is thanks to this that bright red prints are obtained. The composition of the highest level paste may include pure gold and other rare substances, with the help of which the impression will be preserved for centuries. In addition, the paste smells nice.

To make a seal impression, you need to lightly touch the ink pad with engraving several times, check whether the design is evenly colored, and then press lightly onto the document. Before raising your hand, you should wait a little time so that the impression is clear and neat.

The special status of seals in China is illustrated by the fact that they are given a special section in museum exhibitions, and in universities throughout the country a special course is devoted to them. The Chinese Association of Engravers publishes its own publications, organizes lectures, seminars and exhibitions that maintain interest in this purely national art.

Based on materials from abirus.ru

Original post and comments at

Recently I have been studying Chinese ink drawing - a very fascinating art. It turned out that even Cathayan seals are also art. Also in the article I collect the addresses of those who can make a seal.

Seal carving is an art where a chisel is used instead of a brush. They engrave hieroglyphs and patterns on stone. Seal carving is a Chinese traditional arts and crafts that combines two arts: calligraphy and stone carving. Carved seals are not only functional, but at the same time they are works of applied art.

Seal carving is not as famous as Chinese painting and calligraphy, but it requires no less experience and skill from the author.

"Ruan ke", as it is called in China, usually means engraving words on various materials- from wood and stone to crystal and bronze. The ready-made cliché was, and in Japan, China and Korea still remains, the stamp of a private individual, company and court. The tradition of using facsimiles dates back 3,000 years.

These days, seal carving is not as popular as other forms of Chinese art and has a much smaller following. Not everyone can do it, since the master must master calligraphy, design and the structure of the material. And, of course, have carving skills. Seal carving, however, remains an integral part of Chinese art.

A seal is necessary on every calligraphic scroll or painting, as it is the equivalent of the artist's signature and gives added value to the work of art. By applying the print to the paper, the artist completes the painting. He sees the finished picture in front of him and therefore can choose the place where it will best decorate and balance the composition.

Carving is closely related to calligraphy because both arts use the same handwritten script. In its name, "juan" refers to calligraphy and "ke" means engraving. Therefore, the print reflects the author's skill as a calligrapher and carver. And if he also draws, then his work is highly valued.

Most ancient seals (“gu hi”) were engraved on bronze, horn, agate or jade. However, Wan Mian, who lived during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), discovered new types of soft stones. His discovery led to a real revolution in this field, since masters could completely make seals themselves (before this, they were usually made by metallurgists). The change in material transformed seal carving from a handicraft into an art that was organically intertwined with the culture of ancient China.

Seal carving, or wuin, is the fourth art of the ancient Celestial Empire, along with poetry (shi), calligraphy (shu), and painting (hua).

Seals are carved in two ways: yin - white inscription on a red background, and yang - red inscription on a white background.

Chinese seals are decorated with carvings on top; the more elaborate it is, the more expensive the seal blank will cost. The price of a print also depends on the material from which it is made. The price of a seal carving is influenced by factors such as the hardness of the material, the size of the workpiece, the chosen carving method - yin or yang, as well as the number of features and hieroglyphs.

The history of Chinese seals dates back to the prehistoric Yin Dynasty, which existed 3,700 years ago. Then the fortune tellers carved their predictions on the shells of the turtles. The art of seal carving flourished 22 centuries ago during the Qin Dynasty. Then the Chinese began to carve their names on household utensils and documents (made of wood or bamboo) in order to indicate their belonging to one or another owner. Then the engraving of personal names on bone, jade or wood appeared - in fact, what we now mean by Chinese seals.

Hieroglyphs on a seal can be either raised or indented. The printing material is selected at the request of the customer. Typically stone, wood or bone is used. But special connoisseurs and aesthetes prefer seals made from precious and semi-precious stones such as heliotrope, jade, agate, crystal, as well as ivory and other valuable materials. Emperors used gold or more precious stones for their seals. Today, Chinese central government departments typically use bronze seals, while lower level departments use wooden ones.

It is customary to decorate expensive seals with various inscriptions on the side, and the tops often themselves sometimes represent works of art, as they are decorated with various figures. You can especially often find the figure of a lion - a symbol of power and prosperity.

The seal, fresh from the engraver's hands, should be applied to a pad of ink paste and then an impression made on paper. Only after this is it ready for practical use.

Many seals can serve as a kind of talismans that attract wealth and good luck into our lives. With the help of such seals, you can make prints for yourself and your friends, place them in a beautiful frame and hang them on the wall as a protective amulet or an amulet that brings wealth, luck, or love.

Red coloring paste is a necessary addition to the seal itself; it is made from cinnabar, a compound that contains mercury. The main advantages of a coloring pigment are its intensity and shine. A good paste has a rich color that retains its properties for many centuries. The paste must be stirred from time to time with a special stick, so that the oil contained in it does not accumulate on the surface, leaving a hardened crust underneath. For greater safety, the porcelain box with the coloring paste is placed in a wooden case, most often lined with silk, in order to protect it from accidental damage. The art of seal engraving is highly revered in China and Taiwan.


Yinzhang 印章 (yinzhang) is what they are called.

The art of seal carving flourished during the Qin Dynasty. (221 BC), but existed much earlier. To designate personal items and belongings, “name seals” began to be used, which served in the same way as Japanese coats of arms - for distinction. Then the scope of their use expanded significantly; they were both an attribute of the emperor’s power and a lucky talisman and personal signature of the creators of works of art.

But the making of seals itself became an art; they were made from ivory, metal, wood, and most expensively from jade (汉玉印 - Hàn yù yìn ) or red stone« tianhuang" (田黄 ), in the form of figures (often Shih Tzu狮子 - lion dog) or briquette with thread:




Cut out the required characters on the back side (round, square or rectangular) in Zhuanshu script篆書 (see here: )), filling the slots with red paint, and the carving itself, after the name of the writing style, is called Zhuanke.



However, now zhuanshu is not necessarily used; ordinary calligraphy and modern look hieroglyphs, however, it is the seal using the Zhuan style that is considered classic.

Red color - reflects the nature of "yin", replaces black in the nature of darkness of the feminine essence, remaining uncolored - white - the light masculine nature of "yang".


("house")

Hence there are two types of Chinese seals: “ Yin" or "Zh yi wen 赤文 » - red background and white hieroglyphs; and "Yang" or "Baiwen"白 文 "- white background and red hieroglyphs. This is achieved due to the relief, depending on whether the carved hieroglyphs are convex or pressed inward.

Paint (yin-ni ink clay) was originally made from cinnabar, coral extract with the addition of oils, sometimes even with the addition of dust from precious metals. It is rare, but it happens that it is not red, but in any case, dark is yin.

The hieroglyphs on the seal are arranged from right to left and from top to bottom, as in ordinary oriental vertical writing, the last hieroglyph is often the word “seal” itself. yin 印 or zhang 章 (from yinzhang) . But even if there are two hieroglyphs in a line, it is still read from right to left.

Types of seals:

1) 姓名印 (Xìngmíng yìn) or私印 ( Sī yìn) - personal seal, seal of private property.

(Táng wèi) - 1st - Tang Dynasty (618-907), 2nd - for, control, hand, decree.Seal on Tang Dynasty utensils and documents:


汉匈奴破虏长 (Hàn xiōngnú pò l ǔ zh ǎ ng) - 1st - Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); 2nd - core, capital; 3rd - slavery, tyranny.4th - defeat; 5th - capture; 6th - leader. Founder of the Han Dynasty - Liu Bang came from peasants. Liu Bang became the leader of the rebels who managed to take the capital Xiangyang and overthrow the extremely unpopular Qin dynasty . Apparently, the press is directly related to these events:


乾隆御笔 (Qiánlóng yùb ǐ ) - “Brush of the ruler of Qian Long”- seal of edicts, personal utensils of the Qianlong Emperor, fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty ( 1735 — 1796 ). Vases of the emperors of the Qing dynasty, for example, they are called by their name because on the bottom, real vases must have the personal seal of the emperor to whom it belonged, this also applies to other dynasties (although this is not very difficult to fake):


巧工中郎将印 (Qi ǎ o gōng zhōng láng jiāng yìn) - 1st - skillful, brilliant; 2nd - manager; 3rd - center; 4th - young master; 5th - general; 6th - seal. Seal of a young and intelligent general of the Han era.



武猛校尉 (W ǔ měng xiào wèi) - 1st - warlike; 2nd - cruel; 3rd - officer; 4th - kingdom of Wei (220-266). Its founder was a former Han officer Cao Cao (曹操 ). The original history of the state of Wei is closely connected with it. Cao Cao spent his entire life in continuous campaigns and battles with other Chinese military leaders. This is his stamp:


魏霸 - 1st - Kingdom of Wei, dynasty; 2nd - tyranny.



王纲私印 ( Wáng gāng sī yìn) - 1st - emperor; 2nd - order, 3.4th - personal seal. Printing of edicts of the emperors of the Wei Dynasty.


三石斋王臻之章 ( Sānshí zhāi wáng zhēn zhī zhāng) - 1st - three; 2nd - stone; 3rd - asceticism, following Buddhist abstinence; 4th - emperor; 5th - commander; 6th - his, his; 7th - seal (zhang). “The seal of the emperor walking the path of 3 stones - the virtues of Buddhism” (or maybe Confucianism) or “The Seal of Sanshi Zhai” - the name of some ruler.


丞相博阳侯 ( Chéngxiàng bó yáng hóu) - 1st - assistant to the governor, assistant; 2nd - mutual, equal; 3rd - rich; 4th - light male “yang”; Mr./Last name. Personal seal with epithets such as “Generous, worthy and illustrious Mr. Howe - Assistant to the Governor.” Although, Hou is also a kingdom of the late Qin period (384 AD), and perhaps it is not an assistant, but a member of the imperial family.



东郡守丞 (Dōngjùn sh ǒ u cheng) - 1st - east; 2nd - division; 3rd - protection, defense; 4th - responsible. Seal of the military commander of the eastern defensive division.



2) 表字印 (Biǎ o zì yìn) - seal of the name of creative figures, often a pseudonym - literature, painting, etc. There is also a variety 别号印 (bié hào yìn) - a seal with a pseudonym, perhaps more than one, of the owner of the seal, not necessarily a creator of art, but a fairly famous person.


3) 封泥 (Fēng ní) - a seal that seals an envelope with a letter.
御府丞印 - 1st - for transportation; 2nd - state department; 3rd - responsible; 4th - seal.



4)
斋馆印 (Zhāi guǎ n yìn) - seal of the name of the company, division, group of responsible persons.

殿中都尉 (Diànzhōng dū wèi) - 1st - palace, temple; 2nd - middle, main; 3rd - refined, metropolitan; 4th - Wei Dynasty. Seal of the stewards of the affairs of the imperial court or the main temple:

王金 (Wáng jīn) - 1st - emperor; 2nd - gold. Imperial treasury:


5) 收藏印 (Shōucáng yìn) - the stamp of a collector on objects of art he acquired - books, calligraphic and pictorial scrolls - could contain words of admiration for the skill of their author. Of course, confusion immediately arises about who is the collector and who is the author, and without knowledge of the history of Chinese antiques and, most importantly, the personalities involved in this, it is difficult to understand; usually such scrolls have several seals:




6) 词句印 (Cíjù yìn) - a seal - a line from a poetic work that matches the mood or what was depicted in the picture - the most common seal in painting.

萧瑟秋风今又是 (Xi ā os è qi ū f ē ng j ī n y ò u sh ì) - Yin seal, 1st - wormwood, sorrow; 2nd - wind noise, long zither; 3rd - autumn; 4th - wind; 5th - now; 6th - again; 7th - to be, right.Definitely - a verse, for example, like this: “The mournful sounds of the zither, like a gust of autumn wind.”


墨缘 ( Mò yuán) - 1st - ink, calligraphy; 2nd - reason, fate. “The ink that writes fate”? most likely a calligrapher's signature.


常乐苍 龍 曲侯 ( Cháng lè cānglóng qū hóu) - 1st - regular, constant; 2nd - happiness, music; 3rd - blue, green; 4th - dragon; 5th - melody, song; 6th - piercing. The poetic line “The shrill song of the green dragon gives constant happiness.”


宜春丞禁 ( Yichūn chéng jìn) - 1st - faithful, true; 2nd - spring; 3rd - salvation, assistant; 4th - prohibited. Something like: “there is no escape from spring,” or “you shouldn’t help spring bloom, don’t rush the shoots.”


秋露如珠 ( Qiū lù rú zhū) - 1st - autumn; 2nd - dew; 3rd - how if; 4th - pearls. "Autumn dew is like pearls."


天如水 (Tiān rúshu ǐ ) - 1st - sky; 2nd - how; 3rd - water. "The sky is like water."


江上清風山間之名月 ( Jiāngshàng qīngfēng shānjiān zhī míng yuè) - 1st - wide Yangtze River; 2nd - rises; 3rd - clean, peaceful; 4th - wind; 5th - mountains; 6th - period; 7th - what; 8th - name; - 9th - moon. “The Yangtze River floods fertilely, the wind from the mountains whispers the name of the moon” (maybe about a certain phase of the moon during which the river floods):



Seals-amulets, good luck, good wishes:


1) 黄神越章 (Huáng shén yuè zhāng) “Seal of the Chief Yellow God” - the seal of the legendary Yellow Emperor/God (Huang Di), believed to scare away demons and evil spirits, was placed on objects or letters to dear people.


蝉 · 螳螂 · 黄雀 (Ch á n . t á ngl á ng . hu á ng qu è) - 1st - cicada; 2nd - praying mantis; 3rd - dung beetle (like a scarab); 4th - yellow; 5th - sparrow.

Given the presence of Huang (yellow), it may also refer to the protective seals of the Yellow Emperor, who according to legend was a great philosopher. Also, sparrows have always been associated with Confucianism.


2) 吉语印 ( Jí yǔ yì n) or书简印 ( Shū jiǎ nyì n) - seal wishes for good luck, phrase with good wishes, short statements ancient philosophers, was placed at the end of a letter, a scroll with calligraphy or painting.

大吉祥 (Dà jíxiáng) - 1st - big, great; 2nd - luck, happiness; The 3rd is a good omen. 100% - seal of luck.


吉祥如意 ( Jíxiáng rúyì) - 1, 2, - luck, happiness; 3rd - how, this; 4th - mind, soul, meaning. Also a happy/philosophical stamp can be understood as “happiness in a healthy mind”, or “the meaning of life is happiness”.

弄狗厨印 (Nòng gǒ u chú yìn) - 1st - movement, game; 2nd - dog; 3rd - closet/kitchen; 4th - seal. Something like a guard dog for a cupboard or kitchen utensils, so that there is food or so that they don’t get stolen.


昌武君印 (Chāng wǔ jūnyìn) - 1st - light of the sun, good; 2nd - military leader/surname; 3rd - to you, sir, ruler; 4th - seal (yin). A stamp of good wishes (amulet) to the addressee in a letter.


琅邪相印章 (L á ng xi é xi ā ng y ì nzh ā ng ) - 1st - carnelian, pure; 2nd - evil, vice; 3rd - together; 4.5th - print.We can say that the fusion of good and evil, purity and vice is the stamp of the Han era, a manifestation of the dual nature of yin-yang, philosophical.

庆泠长印 - 1st - congratulations; 2nd - pleasantness, convenience, peaceful life; 3rd - prosperity, prosperity, 4th - seal. A stamp of good wishes in a letter, most likely.

长幸 (Zh ǎ ngxìng) - 1st - prosperity; 2nd - happiness.


39. 绥统承祖, 子孙慈仁, 永葆二亲, 福禄未央, 万岁无疆 (Suī t ǒ ng chéng z ǔ, z ǐ sūn cí rén, y ǒ ng b ǎ o èr qīn, fú lù wèiyāng, wànsuì wújiāng) - 1st - calming, rationalizing; 2nd - control, power; 3rd - receiving an inheritance; 4th - forefather, ancestor; 5th - son, child; 6th - descendant; 7th - charity; 8th - humanity; 9th - eternity, 10th - protected; 11th - two; 12th - parents; 13th - happiness; 14th - blessing; 15th - year of the goat; 16th - running out; 17th - 10000; 18th - years old; 19th - no; 20th - boundaries. Apparently, good wishes to the heir to the throne, born at the end of the year of the goat, for long life, happiness, etc.

Seal carving is one of the four traditional Chinese arts, along with calligraphy, painting and poetry. The history of Chinese seals dates back to the Yin Dynasty, which existed 3,700 years ago. Then the fortune tellers carved their predictions on the shells of the turtles. 2,200 years ago, the Chinese began carving their names on household utensils and documents (made of wood or bamboo) to indicate their ownership. Then came the engraving of personal names on bone, stone and wood - what we mean by Chinese seals now.

From the 5th century BC. the seal became an indispensable attribute of the appointment of an official to any post by the emperor or prince. The seal personified position and power. Private individuals used seals to authenticate written documents or simply as a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the owners.

A typical tall pedestal with a square base

Materials

Based on the material used for printing, it was possible to determine the position of the owner in society. Ordinary citizens used seals made of wood, stone or horn. Famous poets and officials preferred seals made of red Changhua stone (Tianhuang), jasper, agate, rock crystal, ivory and other valuable materials.

Special connoisseurs preferred seals made from precious and semi-precious stones such as heliotrope, jade, agate, crystal, ivory (now universally prohibited for use) and other valuable materials. Emperors used gold or precious stones for their seals. Today, Chinese central government departments typically use bronze seals, while lower-level departments use wooden ones.

"Tianhuang" is a type of stone that is considered in China the best material for sculpture and seal engraving. He is even called the “Emperor of Stones.” In the past it was worth its weight in gold, in our time even more. In 1996, a Qin era seal made of Tianhuang stone weighing 460 grams was put up for auction, with a starting price of 300,000 yuan. The print was sold for 1.4 million yuan (more than 6 million rubles). This is the most expensive Tianhuang stone known in the world.

Seals are carved in two ways: yin - white inscription on a red background, and yang - red inscription on a white background. The “body” of the seal is decorated with carvings and sculptures. The more skillful they are, the more expensive the seal blank will cost. The price of a print also depends on the material from which it is made. The price of seal carving is influenced by the hardness of the material, the size of the workpiece, the chosen carving method - yin or yang, the number of lines and hieroglyphs.

Hieroglyphs on a seal can be raised (convex) or recessed. Expensive seals are usually decorated with various inscriptions on the side, and the finials are often works of art in themselves, decorated with various figures. You can often find the figure of a lion - a symbol of power and prosperity.

Chinese lions - they are so funny

Ivory dragon turtle

The dragon with the pearl is a popular pommel subject, as is the lion.

Another unusual shape. Sometimes they make holes for the cord. Like netsuke.

Printing as a work of art involves three aspects: calligraphy, composition and engraving. The master must master all styles of calligraphy. He must master the techniques of layout and composition in order to place several complex hieroglyphs in a limited space and achieve a high aesthetic effect. He must be able to work with different materials. For different materials Different knives are used and different carving skills are used. Watching a seal carver at work is a natural and popular form of cultural recreation for the Chinese.

Ink paste for stamps

The ink paste used to make the seal is called yinni (ink clay) in Chinese. In ancient times, clay was used to print official documents, much like sealing wax is used today. Later in a word yinni began to be called an analogue of the ink pad - a paste, usually red.

The high-quality ink paste contains cinnabar, pearls, musk, coral, ruby, castor oil, and red dye. Real paste smells good. The analogues in our oriental exotic stores are similar to ordinary gouache in appearance, properties and smell. The composition of the highest level paste may include pure gold and other rare substances, with the help of which the impression becomes unique and will be preserved for centuries.

To make an imprint, you need to touch the ink pad with the engraved seal several times, check the uniformity of coloring and press lightly onto the document, not too much. Before raising your hand, wait a little, then the impression will be neat and clear.

A seal is placed on every calligraphic scroll or painting, it is the equivalent of the artist's signature and gives the work of art additional value. By applying the print to the paper, the artist completes the painting. He sees the finished picture in front of him and chooses the place where it will best decorate and balance the composition. The print reflects the author's skill as a calligrapher and carver.

The red imprint of a Chinese seal is not only a signature or sign, but also an object of aesthetic contemplation and a touch of the culture of the East. Seals in China are given a special section in museum exhibitions, and a separate course is devoted to them in universities.

"Printed" style in the interior

And to finish the topic - caring for seals (cleaning).
Wonderful music: Aalborg - Deep Sea Orchestra. From a city very far from China, but in spirit it suits both China and the New Year.


Yinzhang 印章 (yinzhang) is what they are called.

The art of seal carving flourished during the Qin Dynasty. (221 BC), but existed much earlier. To designate personal items and belongings, “name seals” began to be used, which served in the same way as Japanese coats of arms - for distinction. Then the scope of their use expanded significantly; they were both an attribute of the emperor’s power and a lucky talisman and personal signature of the creators of works of art.

But the making of seals itself became an art; they were made from ivory, metal, wood, and most expensively from jade (汉玉印 - Hàn yù yìn ) or red stone« tianhuang" (田黄 ), in the form of figures (often Shih Tzu狮子 - lion dog) or briquette with thread:




Cut out the required characters on the back side (round, square or rectangular) in Zhuanshu script篆書 (see here: )), filling the slots with red paint, and the carving itself, after the name of the writing style, is called Zhuanke.



However, now Zhuanshu is not necessarily used, there may be ordinary calligraphy and a modern type of hieroglyphs, however, it is the seal that uses the Zhuan style that is considered classic.

Red color - reflects the nature of "yin", replaces black in the nature of darkness of the feminine essence, remaining uncolored - white - the light masculine nature of "yang".


("house")

Hence there are two types of Chinese seals: “ Yin" or "Zh yi wen 赤文 » - red background and white hieroglyphs; and "Yang" or "Baiwen"白 文 "- white background and red hieroglyphs. This is achieved due to the relief, depending on whether the carved hieroglyphs are convex or pressed inward.

Paint (yin-ni ink clay) was originally made from cinnabar, coral extract with the addition of oils, sometimes even with the addition of dust from precious metals. It is rare, but it happens that it is not red, but in any case, dark is yin.

The hieroglyphs on the seal are arranged from right to left and from top to bottom, as in ordinary oriental vertical writing, the last hieroglyph is often the word “seal” itself. yin 印 or zhang 章 (from yinzhang) . But even if there are two hieroglyphs in a line, it is still read from right to left.

Types of seals:

1) 姓名印 (Xìngmíng yìn) or私印 ( Sī yìn) - personal seal, seal of private property.

(Táng wèi) - 1st - Tang Dynasty (618-907), 2nd - for, control, hand, decree.Seal on Tang Dynasty utensils and documents:


汉匈奴破虏长 (Hàn xiōngnú pò l ǔ zh ǎ ng) - 1st - Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); 2nd - core, capital; 3rd - slavery, tyranny.4th - defeat; 5th - capture; 6th - leader. Founder of the Han Dynasty - Liu Bang came from peasants. Liu Bang became the leader of the rebels who managed to take the capital Xiangyang and overthrow the extremely unpopular Qin dynasty . Apparently, the press is directly related to these events:


乾隆御笔 (Qiánlóng yùb ǐ ) - “Brush of the ruler of Qian Long”- seal of edicts, personal utensils of the Qianlong Emperor, fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty ( 1735 — 1796 ). Vases of the emperors of the Qing dynasty, for example, they are called by their name because on the bottom, real vases must have the personal seal of the emperor to whom it belonged, this also applies to other dynasties (although this is not very difficult to fake):


巧工中郎将印 (Qi ǎ o gōng zhōng láng jiāng yìn) - 1st - skillful, brilliant; 2nd - manager; 3rd - center; 4th - young master; 5th - general; 6th - seal. Seal of a young and intelligent general of the Han era.



武猛校尉 (W ǔ měng xiào wèi) - 1st - warlike; 2nd - cruel; 3rd - officer; 4th - kingdom of Wei (220-266). Its founder was a former Han officer Cao Cao (曹操 ). The original history of the state of Wei is closely connected with it. Cao Cao spent his entire life in continuous campaigns and battles with other Chinese military leaders. This is his stamp:


魏霸 - 1st - Kingdom of Wei, dynasty; 2nd - tyranny.



王纲私印 ( Wáng gāng sī yìn) - 1st - emperor; 2nd - order, 3.4th - personal seal. Printing of edicts of the emperors of the Wei Dynasty.


三石斋王臻之章 ( Sānshí zhāi wáng zhēn zhī zhāng) - 1st - three; 2nd - stone; 3rd - asceticism, following Buddhist abstinence; 4th - emperor; 5th - commander; 6th - his, his; 7th - seal (zhang). “The seal of the emperor walking the path of 3 stones - the virtues of Buddhism” (or maybe Confucianism) or “The Seal of Sanshi Zhai” - the name of some ruler.


丞相博阳侯 ( Chéngxiàng bó yáng hóu) - 1st - assistant to the governor, assistant; 2nd - mutual, equal; 3rd - rich; 4th - light male “yang”; Mr./Last name. Personal seal with epithets such as “Generous, worthy and illustrious Mr. Howe - Assistant to the Governor.” Although, Hou is also a kingdom of the late Qin period (384 AD), and perhaps it is not an assistant, but a member of the imperial family.



东郡守丞 (Dōngjùn sh ǒ u cheng) - 1st - east; 2nd - division; 3rd - protection, defense; 4th - responsible. Seal of the military commander of the eastern defensive division.



2) 表字印 (Biǎ o zì yìn) - seal of the name of creative figures, often a pseudonym - literature, painting, etc. There is also a variety 别号印 (bié hào yìn) - a seal with a pseudonym, perhaps more than one, of the owner of the seal, not necessarily a creator of art, but a fairly famous person.


3) 封泥 (Fēng ní) - a seal that seals an envelope with a letter.
御府丞印 - 1st - for transportation; 2nd - state department; 3rd - responsible; 4th - seal.



4)
斋馆印 (Zhāi guǎ n yìn) - seal of the name of the company, division, group of responsible persons.

殿中都尉 (Diànzhōng dū wèi) - 1st - palace, temple; 2nd - middle, main; 3rd - refined, metropolitan; 4th - Wei Dynasty. Seal of the stewards of the affairs of the imperial court or the main temple:

王金 (Wáng jīn) - 1st - emperor; 2nd - gold. Imperial treasury:


5) 收藏印 (Shōucáng yìn) - the stamp of a collector on objects of art he acquired - books, calligraphic and pictorial scrolls - could contain words of admiration for the skill of their author. Of course, confusion immediately arises about who is the collector and who is the author, and without knowledge of the history of Chinese antiques and, most importantly, the personalities involved in this, it is difficult to understand; usually such scrolls have several seals:




6) 词句印 (Cíjù yìn) - a seal - a line from a poetic work that matches the mood or what was depicted in the picture - the most common seal in painting.

萧瑟秋风今又是 (Xi ā os è qi ū f ē ng j ī n y ò u sh ì) - Yin seal, 1st - wormwood, sorrow; 2nd - wind noise, long zither; 3rd - autumn; 4th - wind; 5th - now; 6th - again; 7th - to be, right.Definitely - a verse, for example, like this: “The mournful sounds of the zither, like a gust of autumn wind.”


墨缘 ( Mò yuán) - 1st - ink, calligraphy; 2nd - reason, fate. “The ink that writes fate”? most likely a calligrapher's signature.


常乐苍 龍 曲侯 ( Cháng lè cānglóng qū hóu) - 1st - regular, constant; 2nd - happiness, music; 3rd - blue, green; 4th - dragon; 5th - melody, song; 6th - piercing. The poetic line “The shrill song of the green dragon gives constant happiness.”


宜春丞禁 ( Yichūn chéng jìn) - 1st - faithful, true; 2nd - spring; 3rd - salvation, assistant; 4th - prohibited. Something like: “there is no escape from spring,” or “you shouldn’t help spring bloom, don’t rush the shoots.”


秋露如珠 ( Qiū lù rú zhū) - 1st - autumn; 2nd - dew; 3rd - how if; 4th - pearls. "Autumn dew is like pearls."


天如水 (Tiān rúshu ǐ ) - 1st - sky; 2nd - how; 3rd - water. "The sky is like water."


江上清風山間之名月 ( Jiāngshàng qīngfēng shānjiān zhī míng yuè) - 1st - wide Yangtze River; 2nd - rises; 3rd - clean, peaceful; 4th - wind; 5th - mountains; 6th - period; 7th - what; 8th - name; - 9th - moon. “The Yangtze River floods fertilely, the wind from the mountains whispers the name of the moon” (maybe about a certain phase of the moon during which the river floods):



Seals-amulets, good luck, good wishes:


1) 黄神越章 (Huáng shén yuè zhāng) “Seal of the Chief Yellow God” - the seal of the legendary Yellow Emperor/God (Huang Di), believed to scare away demons and evil spirits, was placed on objects or letters to dear people.


蝉 · 螳螂 · 黄雀 (Ch á n . t á ngl á ng . hu á ng qu è) - 1st - cicada; 2nd - praying mantis; 3rd - dung beetle (like a scarab); 4th - yellow; 5th - sparrow.

Given the presence of Huang (yellow), it may also refer to the protective seals of the Yellow Emperor, who according to legend was a great philosopher. Also, sparrows have always been associated with Confucianism.


2) 吉语印 ( Jí yǔ yì n) or书简印 ( Shū jiǎ nyì n) - a seal of wishes for good luck, a phrase with good wishes, short sayings of ancient philosophers, placed at the end of a letter, a scroll with calligraphy or painting.

大吉祥 (Dà jíxiáng) - 1st - big, great; 2nd - luck, happiness; The 3rd is a good omen. 100% - seal of luck.


吉祥如意 ( Jíxiáng rúyì) - 1, 2, - luck, happiness; 3rd - how, this; 4th - mind, soul, meaning. Also a happy/philosophical stamp can be understood as “happiness in a healthy mind”, or “the meaning of life is happiness”.

弄狗厨印 (Nòng gǒ u chú yìn) - 1st - movement, game; 2nd - dog; 3rd - closet/kitchen; 4th - seal. Something like a guard dog for a cupboard or kitchen utensils, so that there is food or so that they don’t get stolen.


昌武君印 (Chāng wǔ jūnyìn) - 1st - light of the sun, good; 2nd - military leader/surname; 3rd - to you, sir, ruler; 4th - seal (yin). A stamp of good wishes (amulet) to the addressee in a letter.


琅邪相印章 (L á ng xi é xi ā ng y ì nzh ā ng ) - 1st - carnelian, pure; 2nd - evil, vice; 3rd - together; 4.5th - print.We can say that the fusion of good and evil, purity and vice is the stamp of the Han era, a manifestation of the dual nature of yin-yang, philosophical.

庆泠长印 - 1st - congratulations; 2nd - pleasantness, convenience, peaceful life; 3rd - prosperity, prosperity, 4th - seal. A stamp of good wishes in a letter, most likely.

长幸 (Zh ǎ ngxìng) - 1st - prosperity; 2nd - happiness.


39. 绥统承祖, 子孙慈仁, 永葆二亲, 福禄未央, 万岁无疆 (Suī t ǒ ng chéng z ǔ, z ǐ sūn cí rén, y ǒ ng b ǎ o èr qīn, fú lù wèiyāng, wànsuì wújiāng) - 1st - calming, rationalizing; 2nd - control, power; 3rd - receiving an inheritance; 4th - forefather, ancestor; 5th - son, child; 6th - descendant; 7th - charity; 8th - humanity; 9th - eternity, 10th - protected; 11th - two; 12th - parents; 13th - happiness; 14th - blessing; 15th - year of the goat; 16th - running out; 17th - 10000; 18th - years old; 19th - no; 20th - boundaries. Apparently, good wishes to the heir to the throne, born at the end of the year of the goat, for long life, happiness, etc.