Ancient Official Seals

In ancient times, the official seal's rank was determined by the official's rank and status. The seal of a high-ranking official was larger in size, wider in surface, exquisite in text, and generally made of jade, copper, or iron. The seals of low-level officials were smaller in size, with a narrower surface and simple characters. They were mostly made of bronze or stone. The official seal was mainly used on official documents, documents, memorials, and other important documents. It had serious legal effect and official symbolic significance.

The size of the ancient official seal changed in different periods. From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the size of the official seal was roughly 20 mm to 30 mm square. However, by the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the size of the official seal had increased to 50 mm to 60 mm square. The size of the official seal of the Ming Dynasty was generally 10-12 cm square, and the handle of the seal was gradually increased. Some were as high as 8 cm, and the edge of the seal was also gradually widened. The official seal of the Song Dynasty was roughly 5 to 5.5 centimeters in size. Therefore, the size of the ancient official seal changed in different periods.

The ancient official seal was mainly distinguished from the real one by comparing it in many ways. We can understand that there are several ways to identify the authenticity of ancient official seals: 1. Observing the characteristics of the handprints: The handprints left by the ancient government in the case files were often the marks of the entire palm. By observing the size of the palm, the texture of the palm, the length of the knuckles, and other aspects, the error rate could be reduced. 2. Checking the seal: In ancient times, after an official was promoted, they would leave with the official seal that had been stamped on it. Then, they would go to the local area to check with the local seal. If the two were the same, he could confirm the authenticity of the official seal. 3. [Anti-counterfeit mark: The notes of ancient money houses usually have unique anti-counterfeit marks, such as secret codes and poems.] These marks could be compared to the order of the songs of Chu and the Book of Songs to distinguish the authenticity. 4. Observing the characteristics of the seal: The characteristics of the ancient official seal varied according to the dynasty. For example, the characters on the official seals of the Pre-Qin period were usually different characters, while the official seals of the Warring States period were occupied by all kinds of strange characters. By observing whether the seal on the seal matched the characteristics of the characters at that time, one could determine its authenticity. In summary, the authenticity of ancient official seals could be distinguished by observing the characteristics of the handprint, checking the seal, anti-counterfeit marks, and observing the characteristics of the seal.

The official seals and private seals in China had different characteristics and usage methods in different dynasties. The ancient seals of the Warring States Period were divided into official seals, private seals, auspicious seals, and Xiao seals. The official seal was a token of the imperial court. It was issued by the monarch to officials to use when exercising power. The usage system was very strict. The private seal was mainly used for personal seals and name seals. The auspicious seal reflected the beautiful appeal and pursuit of the ancients. Xiao Xi is mostly used for sealing. After Qin Shihuang unified China, it was stipulated that only the seals used by the emperor could be called "Xi". Official seals and private seals were all called "Yin". In the Han Dynasty, the private seal was free and unrestrained, the layout was flexible and ingenious, and the lines were well-proportioned and strong. Together with the official seal, they built the peak of the Han seal. In the Han Dynasty, jade seals and bird and insect seals were popular among private seals, with gorgeous and exquisite styles. In the Tang Dynasty, the names of official and private seals changed. Official seals were also called seals, and private seals were called seals. Ancient seals were divided into official seals and private seals. Official seals were seals issued by the royal family to distinguish the official ranks of civil and military officials and display their nobility. They were usually square. The private seal was a general term for seals other than the official seal, including the name seal, the name seal, the auspicious language seal, and the leisure seal. In ancient times, the official seal was a symbol of power. It was mostly square-shaped and the words were neat and rigorous. The private seal was customized by the user according to their preferences, and there were various forms. In general, the official seals and private seals of the past dynasties were different in shape, scope of use, and style, reflecting the cultural and system characteristics of different dynasties.

The official seal of the Tang Dynasty was a broad-brimmed seal with red characters. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the shape of the official seal changed. The size completely changed the tradition of the Qin and Han Dynasty seal size, and adopted the form of a broad-edged seal with red characters. This change was of great significance in the history of seal studies. It had a far-reaching impact on later generations.

The Collection of Ancient Seals was a set of six volumes of Seals compiled by Gu Congde in 1572 during the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty. It contained the seals of the author himself and others, including more than 150 jade seals and 1600 bronze seals. This set of seals was the first of its kind, and after it was published, it caused a huge shock in the world of gold and stone. In 1575, the number of jade seals increased to more than 220, and the number of bronze seals increased to more than 3200. Ji Gu Yin Pu was very detailed in the arrangement of the title, the specifications of the paper, the translation and other aspects, which laid the foundation for the later seal. This set of seal records preserved the appearance of ancient seals and had important reference value for the study of Qin and Han seals.

Official seals and private seals were two types of ancient seals. The official seal was the symbol of an official's power, representing the official's identity and authority. Official seals included the emperor's jade seal, imperial treasures, official seals of various levels of court officials, local administrative official seals, seals of various levels of institutions and officials, etc. Official seals are generally larger than private seals. They are cautious and steady in shape. Most of them are square and have a nose button. A private seal was a seal used by a private individual, as opposed to an official seal. There were many forms of private seals, they could be rectangular, round, or oval. Apart from the official name, name, and auspicious language, the contents of the seal could also include aphorisms and idioms. Private seals played an important role in the Han Dynasty, mainly including name seals, table seal, family seal, concubine seal, auspicious seal, Xiao seal, etc.

Ancient and Modern Seal Rules (One Letter and Five Volume): The First Volume of the First Series of the First Series of the The series was planned to be published in three parts, with a total of 150-200 types, covering rare and precious books at home and abroad. Each series would release multiple albums, each album containing 10-12 types of printed music, using the method of mixing generations. The book was published by Xiling Seal Press and published in April 2019.

During the Warring States Period and the Qin and Han Dynasties, official seals were the main seal. According to historical records, after Qin Shihuang unified China, there was a clear difference between the official seal and the official seal of the Warring States Period. The emperor called it the seal alone, and the seals used by other officials were generally called "seal" or "chapter". Since then, the seal had become a symbol of power. There was a strict hierarchy for wearing seals, especially official seals. The size, texture, ribbon, and color of the seal were determined by the size of the official position and the amount of salary. Thus, it could be said that the royal seals of the Warring States Period and the Qin and Han Dynasties were mainly official seals.

The names of the official seals of the Warring States Period were: Yi, Tu 'er, Er, Zuo Sima, Yu Zi Sefu, Wen Fan Du Si Tu, Zhou Yi, Zai Zhi Yi, Jie