Chinese Seal and Ink Tin

Title

Subject

Seals (Insignia) and Cinnabar Ink

Description

Seals are commonly used in East and Southeast Asia in lieu of signatures on personal and important documents that signify ownership or authorship. Seals are also often used in Chinese calligraphy and paintings. Owners or collectors of paintings or books often add their own seals as an act of appreciation toward the work. Chinese seals are typically made of stone but can also be made from metal, wood, bamboo, plastic or ivory. The seals are typically pressed into a cinnabar paste to produce a strikingly red print. Cinnabar is a bright red mineral that consists of mercury sulfide that sources scarlet pigment. Cinnabar has been used in China since the Yangshao period where it was used in coloring stoneware and pottery.

Check out the High Library for more information.

Check out the are of Chinese seal engraving below.

Sources:
Richard R. Wertz, "The Cultural Heritage of China :: The Arts :: Painting :: Seals," WebMuseum: Cassatt, Mary, accessed July 05, 2018, http://www.ibiblio.org/chineseculture/contents/arts/p-arts-c01s04.html.

Date

Circa 20th Century

Contributor

Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA)

Dr. William V. Puffenberger

Rights

Elizabethtown College retains all intellectual property rights to this image including, but not limited to, digital rights and any derivative works. For permission for reproduction, please contact the College’s Administrative Assistant for Humanities.

Format

Seal: A piece of marble with a carved guard on top with Dr. Puffenberger's wife, Kitty's seal engraved on the bottom.

Ink: A tin containing a large sticky cinnabar ink pad used to coat Chinese seals

Seal: 3.5 in X 1.25 in (8.9 cm X 3.2 cm)

Ink: 3.5 in X 5.5 in (8.9 cm X 14 cm)