To go with the use of seals, the lute (red ink paste used for seals) came into existence. Prior to the invention of paper, ancient people wrote official document or letters and kept record of accounts on bamboo slips. In order to keep the contents well in secret and to prevent forgery, lute was used right on the knot where seal was stamped. This was the so-called "jian (seal)," which remained in use until the appearance of inkpad.

The seals of the Three Kingdoms Period and thereafter carried on with the form of the Han seals and the way they worked. By the Southern and Northern dynasties, paper had become very popular, and consequently a new way of stamping seals with the invention of inkpad. Seals of the following dynasties featured a larger seal surface and were largely carved in relief. At the same time, with the great progress in calligraphy and painting, it became popular for calligraphers and painters to stamp the seal to identify the authorship or for collectors to show ownership, which giving rise to prevalence of various seals, such as collector's seals and library seals, signaling that the practical seals were transiting towards the seal-cutting art. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, importance was gradually attached to seal cutting, with the appearance of many scholars and artists specializing in it. By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, seals had evolved from a practical utility and an accessory to a calligraphic work or painting to become an independent art form.

The materials for seals vary with different types of owners. Average persons normally have wood, stone or horn seals, whereas noted public figures would probably prefer seals made of red stained Changhua stone, jade, agate, crystal, ivory and other more valuable materials. Monarchs in the old days used gold or the most precious stones to make their imperial or royal seals. Today, Chinese government offices at lower levels still use wood seals.

Seals cut as artworks should excel in three aspects-- calligraphy, composition and the engraver's handwork. The artist must be good at writing various styles of the Chinese script. He should know how to arrange within a limited space a number of characters -- some compact with many strokes and others sketchy with very few -- to achieve a vigorous or graceful effect. He should also be familiar with the various materials -- stone, brass or ivory -- so that he may apply the cutting knife with the right exertion, technique and even rhythm. To watch a master engraver at work is like to see a delightful stage performance.

Author: Jessie