Engraved Seals: Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)-Republic (1912-1949

For more informationon about seals, their shapes, and carving styles, please see Zhang (Seals). There are many varieties of seals (personal, leisure, official, etc.). The most common ones in this collection are:

  • leisure seals: 閒章兒 (an unofficial personal seal, usually containing a poetic or religious thought; sometimes also called flavor seals): the inscriptions on these seals are typically words, phrases, or short quotations that convey the mood or thought of the artist, calligrapher, and/or collector
  • name seals: 圖章 (a stamp, personal seal): the inscriptions on these seals are typically names, pen names, pseudonyms, religious names (dharma or Taoist names), or epithets that identify an individual


seal_1_1 (42K)
Side 1
Dimensions:
Height: 5.5 in.
Width: 1 7/8 in.
Depth: 1 7/8 in. 		seal_1_2 (40K)
Side 2 		seal_1_3 (31K)
Side 3 		seal_1_4 (35K)
Side 4 inscription:
Date:
Renyin year [1902?],
3rd month
Artist:
carved by
Cheng Yuan
壬寅三月
程遠刻 		seal_1_face (44K)
seal_1_nonvulgarhighvalue (31K)
Face and impression:
Engraving:
relief (red seal)
Face text:
The non-vulgar
equals high value.
不俗即价贵
Other details: late Qing dynasty (CE 1644-1912) leisure seal; low relief carving (bo yi 薄藝) on sides of landscapes, birds and flowers, and figures; square shape (fang xing 方形).
square_flat_top (51K)
Top of grip
Dimensions:
Height: 3/4 in.
Width: 1 3/16 in.
Depth: 1 3/16 in. 		square_flat_side_2 (28K)
square_flat_side_3 (27K)
Sides 2 & 3 		square_flat_side_1_inscription (31K)
Side 1 inscription:
Tongzhi year made
同治年制 		square_flat_side_4_inscription (39K)
Side 4 inscription:
[Name?] carved the stone
[??] 刻石 		square_flat_face (31K) square_flat_impression (25K)
Face and impression:
Engraving:
relief (red seal)
Face text:
Life as long as
metal and stone
同寿石金
Other details: Qing dynasty, Tongzhi's reign 1862-1874 (?) leisure seal—since the date on the seal does not mention the exact year of Tongzhi's reign it may well be spurious; low relief carving (bo yi 薄藝) on sides and top of lotus flowers and seed pods; square shape (fang xing 方形); flat grip.
seal_3_side_1 (30K)
Dimensions:
Height: 4 1/4 in.
Width: 1 1/8 in.
Depth: 1 1/8 in. 		seal_3_side_2 (29K)
Side 2 		seal_3_side_3 (29K)
Side 3 		seal_3_side_4_inscription (30K)
Side 4 inscription 		seal_3_face (25K)
Face and impression:
Engraving:
relief (red seal)
Face text:
To be born into this world
is to encounter suffering
生世为入难
Engraving:
relief (red seal)
Other details: Qing dynasty (CE 1644-1912) leisure seal; low relief carving (bo yi 薄藝) on sides of lotus flowers; square shape (fang xing 方形).
seal_6_side_1 (32K)
Side 1
Dimensions:
Height: 3 1/4 in.
Width: 1 1/4 in.
Depth: 1 1/4 in. 		seal_6_side_2 (36K)
Side 2 		seal_6_side_3 (34K)
Side 3 		seal_6_side_4_inscription (38K)
Side 4 inscription:
Orchid Flower Pavilion Preface
Jiachen year (1904?) autumn end (i.e., ninth moon)
???
蘭華亭序
甲辰年秋末
??? 		seal_6_face (33K)
seal_6_impression (36K)
Face engraving:
relief (red seal)
Face text:
Some ? go into the mountains to play go
?入 山?對弈
Other details: Qing dynasty (CE 1644-1912) leisure seal; low relief carving (bo yi 薄藝) on sides of landscapes and people; square shape (fang xing 方形).

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