Official Seals

For more informationon about seals, their shapes, and carving styles, please see Zhang (Seals). Official seals (xiyin 璽印) typically only contain the name of the government office rather than a personal name.


officialseal_1_side_1 (30K)
Side 1
Dimensions:
Height: 3 in.
Width: 2.5 in.
Depth: 2.5 in. 		officialseal_1_side_2 (31K)
Side 2 		officialseal_1_side_3 (31K)
Side 3 		officialseal_1_side_4_inscription (35K)
Side 4: 2 inscriptions
in regular script
Face text:
Lingshanwei Town
Central Thousand Households,
of which 100 Households [Leader's] Seal
靈山衛中千戶所百戶印
Origin:
Produced by the Ministry of Rites
in the first month of year Jimao
[1864 or 1924?]
壬寅三月程遠刻 		officialseal_1_faceimpression (40K)
Face and impression:
Engraving:
relief (red seal)
Other details: Late Qing dynasty (CE 1644-1912)?; high relief carving (lou diao 鏤雕) of three dragons and a pearl on the grip ; square shape (fang xing 方形); face engraving in nine-fold script (jiu die wen 九疊文).
officialseal_2_side_1 (25K)
Side 1
Dimensions:
Height: 4.25 in.
Width: 2 5/16 in.
Depth: 2 5/16 in. 		officialseal_2_side_2 (23K)
Side 2 		officialseal_2_side_3_inscription (24K)
Side 3 inscription
Face text
in regular script:
Bodyguard Army Deputy [?]
Commander Envoy
侍衛軍
副都指
揮使印 		officialseal_2_side_4_inscription (27K)
Side 4 inscription
in regular script
Origin:
Produced by the Ministry of Rites
in the 16th year of Yuan, 8th month 中書禮部
造至元拾
陸年捌月
officialseal_2_faceimpression (40K)
Face and impression:
Engraving:
relief (red seal)
Other details: Late Qing dynasty (CE 1644-1912)?; incised landscape on side 1; high relief carving (lou diao 鏤雕) of tiger on the grip ; square shape (fang xing 方形); face engraving in nine-fold script (jiu die wen 九疊文).

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