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A Chinese seal (; or stamp containing Chinese Character s used in East Asia to Prove identity on Documents , Contract s, Art , or similar items where authorship is considered important. Chinese seals are typically made of Stone , sometimes of Wood , and are typically used with red Ink or Cinnabar paste (). The word 印 ("yìn") specifically refers to the imprint created by the seal. The colloquial name chop, when referring this kind of seals, was adapted from a Malay word during the colonization of the Straits Settlements . East Asia currently uses a mixture of seals and hand signatures, and increasingly, electronic signatures. {Link without Title} But notably in Japan and China , seals remain commonly used instead of a signatures when doing business or other procedures, and in certain cases, only seals are acceptable. TYPES OF SEALS
SEALS USED BY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES Emperors Of China , their families and officials used large seals known as ''xǐ'' (璽), which corresponds to the Great Seals of Western countries. ''Xǐ'' were usually made of Jade (although hard wood or precious metal could also be used), and were originally square in shape. They were changed to a rectangular form during the Song Dynasty , but reverted to square during the Qing Dynasty , and officially renamed ''bǎo'' (寶, "treasure"). The Forbidden City in Beijing currently has a collection of 25 ''bǎo'' from the Qing Dynasty. These seals typically bore the titles of the offices, rather than the names of the owners. Different seals could be used for different purposes: for example, Emperor Qianlong had a number of appreciation seals {Link without Title} used on select paintings in their collection. The most important of these seals is the Heirloom Seal , which was created by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shihuang , and was seen as a legitimising device embodying or symbolising the Mandate Of Heaven . The Heirloom Seal was passed down through several dynasties, but was lost by the beginning of the Ming Dynasty . The most popular style of script for government seals in the imperial ages (from Song to Qing) is the ''jiudie wen'' ("nine-fold script"), a highly stylised font which is unreadable to the untrained. The government of the Republic Of China (Taiwan) has continued to use traditional square seals of about 13 centimetres each side, known by a variety of names depending on the user's hierarchy. Part of the inaugural ceremony for the President Of The Republic Of China includes bestowing on him the ''Seal of the Republic of China'' and the ''Seal of Honor''. The seals of the government of the People's Republic Of China today are usually circular in shape, and has a five-pointed star in the centre of the circle. The name of the governmental organization is often arranged around the star in a semi-circle. PERSONAL SEALS There are many classes of personal seals: Name seals 名印 : Denote the person's name. These are almost always square. Free seals 閑印 : Are the equivalent of today's online Signatures , and can contain the person's personally philosophy or literary inclination. These can be any shape, ranging from ovals to dragon-shaped. Studio seals 齋印 : Carry the name of the person's private studio 書齋, which most literati in Ancient China had, although probably in lesser forms. These are more or less rectangular in shape. SEAL PASTE There are two types of seal paste depending on what base material they are made of. One is silk based (mixed with cinnabar et al.) to form a very thick substance. The other is plant based to form a very loose substance.
Plant based paste tends to dry more quickly than silk based pastes because the plant extract does not hold onto the oil as tightly as silk. Depending on the paper used, plant pastes can dry in 10 to 15 minutes. The more absorbant the paper is, the faster it dries as the paper absorbs most of the oil. Also, plant pastes tend to smudge more easily than silk pastes due to the loose binding agent. The paste is kept covered after it has been used, in its original container (be it plastic or ceramic). It is kept in an environment away from direct sunlight and away from intense heat lest it dry out. When the seal is pressed onto the printing surface, the procedure differs according to plant or silk based paste. For silk based paste, the user applies pressure and rocks it about slightly. For plant based paste, the user simply applies light pressure. As lifting the seal vertically away from its imprint may rip or damage paper, the seal is usually lifted off one side at a time, as if bent off from the page. After this, the image may be blotted with a piece of paper to make it dry faster, although this may smudge it. CHINESE USAGE Most people in China possess a personal name seal. Artists, scholars, collectors and intellectuals may possess a full set of name seals, leisure seals, and studio seals. A well-made seal made from Semi-precious Stone s can cost between ¥400 - ¥4000. Seals are still used for official purposes in a number of contexts. When collecting parcels or registered post, the name seal serves as an identification, akin to a signature. In banks, traditionally the method of identification was also by a seal. Today, personal identification is often by a hand signature accompanied by a seal imprint. Seals can serve as as identification with signatures because they are difficult to forge and only the owner has access to his own seal. Seals are also often used on Chinese Calligraphy works and Chinese Painting s, usually imprinted in such works in the order (from top to bottom) of name seal, leisure seal(s), then studio seal. Seals are usually carved out by specialist seal carvers, or by the users themselves. Specialist carvers will carve the user's name into the stone in one of the standard scripts and styles described above, usually for a fee. On the other hand, some people take to carving their own seals out of soapstone and fine knives, which are widely available and is cheaper than paying a professional for expertise, craft, and material. Results vary, but it is possible for individuals to carve perfectly legitimate seals for themselves. As a novelty souvenir, seal carvers also ply tourist business at Chinatown s and tourist destinations in China . They often carve on-the-spot or poor translations of foreign names on inexpensive soapstone, sometimes featuring Roman characters. Such seals are simply trinkets and are unsuitable for any functional purpose. Determining which side of the seal should face up may be done in a number of ways: if there is a carving on top, the front should face the user; if there is an inscription on the side, it should face to the left of the user; if there is a dot on the side, it should face away from the user. Once seals are used, as much paste as possible is wiped from the printing surface and the edges off with a suitable material. The seals are kept in a constant environment, especially seals made of sandalwood or black ox horn. Tall thin seals are best kept on their sides, in case it should wobble and fall down. More important seals, such as authority and society seals are encased or wrapped in a silk cloth to add more protection. JAPANESE USAGE In Japan , there are two kinds of seals: ''mitome-in'' ("personal seal") and ''jitsu-in'' ("registered seal"). A registered seal is needed to open an account in some banks or to purchase land or a car. In modern Japan most people have several seals. Men's seals are generally larger than those of women, and high-ranked executives generally have larger ''hanko'', or seal, than their subordinates. The most secure forms of ''hanko'' are used for Bank ing and Real Estate dealings, while off-the-shelf varieties are used for everyday tasks such as signing for delivery of packages. Registration and certification of an ''inkan'' may be obtained in a local municipal office (e.g. city hall). There, a person receives a "certificate of seal impression" (印鑑登録証明書 ''inkan tōruku shōmei-sho''), or certificate of authenticity, which is required for any significant business transaction, such as purchasing a car. Foreigners who have a valid Alien Registration Card are eligible for the name seal, necessary to perform business. Foreign names may be carved in Rōmaji , Katakana , Hiragana or Kanji . ''Inkan'' for standard Japanese names may be purchased prefabricated. Traditionally, ''inkan'' are engraved on the end of a stick of hard wood, bone, or ivory, with a diameter between 25 and 75 mm. Carving them is a kind of Calligraphic Art . Rubber stamps are unacceptable for business purposes. The first evidence of writing in Japan is a ''hanko'' dating from AD 57 , made of solid Gold and belonging to the Emperor . At first, only the Emperor and his most trusted Vassal s held ''hanko'', as they were a symbol of the Emperor's authority. Noblemen began using their own personal ''hanko'' after 750, and Samurai began using them sometime in the Middle Ages . Samurai were permitted exclusive use of Red ink. After modernization began in 1870, ''hanko'' finally came into general use throughout Japanese society. The increasing ease with which modern technology allows ''hanko'' Fraud is beginning to cause some concern that the system will not be able to survive for much longer. Signature stamps are still used widely in cultures outside of Japan. For instance, some Israeli companies still require stamps on official documents. Some say the relative size of the stamps reflects the rank of the officers within the corporation. KOREAN USAGE The , 玉璽 ) which had inscription of Seal of the King of Ye ( 濊王之印 , 예왕지인 ). The use of seals became poluar in Three Kingdoms period. In case of Emperor to Korean kings, in sense of keeping relations between two countries as brothers(''Sadae-jui''). This was used only in communications with China and coronation of kings. others, generally called ''eobo'' (어보, 御寶) or ''eosae'' (어새, 御璽), are used in foreign communications with countries other than China, and domestic uses. With declaration of establishment of Republic Of Korea in 1948, its government created a new State Seal, ''guksae'' (국새, 國璽) and it is used in promulgation of constitution, designation of cabinet members and ambassadors, conference of National Orders and important Diplomatic documents. {Link without Title} Seals were also used by government officials in documents. this type of seals were called ''gwanin'' (관인, 官印) and it was supervised by specialist officials. In traditional arts, like China and Japan , an artist of Calligrafy and Paintings would use there seals (generally leisure seals and studio seals) to identify his/her work. This type of seals were called ''Nakkwan'' (낙관, 落款). As carving seals itself was considered as Art , many artists carved their seals by oneself. Seals of Joseon-period calligraphist and natural historian Kim Jung-hee (aka Wandang or Chusa) are considered as antiquity. In modern Korea , the use of seals are still common. most of Korean people has personal seals, every government agencies and commercial corperation has its own seals to use in public documents. While Signing is also accepted, many Korean think it is more formal to use seals in public documents. Personal seals (''dojang'' in general reference) in ) which is required documents for most of significant business transactions and civil services. While ''ingam'' is used in important business, other ''dojangs'' are used in everyday purpose such as less-significant official transactions. Thus most Koreans have more than two seals. Korean seals are made of Wood , Jade , or sometimes Ivory for more value. State Seals were generally made of Gold or high-quality Jade . Rare cases of Bronze or Steel seals are remaining. SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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