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I am an artist who has lived in Los Angeles, New York City and, now, northern California. My initial interest in art was provoked by the Asian collection at the Seattle Art Museum when I was in high school, and it has continued to this day. I am not a collector, merely an admirer who has picked up the odd scroll, print or seal. Seals especially have engaged a deep involvement and I welcome this opportunity to share. For my own primarily sculptural works please visit my website lorenmadsen.com.

Recommended books

If you want to know more, a good place to start is:
"Word As Image: The Art of Chinese Seal Engraving" by Jason Kuo, China Institute, NY, 1992. It's in English, for one thing and, for another, available.
"Chinese Seals," U. of Washington Press, 1976 by T.C. Lai is another great one in English, but harder to find.

If you get serious the books you really need are all in Chinese.

Hong Juntao, Yang Tan and Zhang Yan: "Seal Script-Regular Script Dictionary" (
Zhuan Zhen Zidian), Beijing, 1996. The essential book for translating from seal script to regular script.

Shang Chengzuo and Huang Hua ed: "Index of Calligraphers', Painters' and Seal Carvers' Names Down the Ages" (
Zhongguo Lidai Shuhua Zhuanke Jia Zihao Suoyin), Hong Kong, 1968. For finding the given names of carvers for whom you know only the studio name, because the real reference books, you see, are organized by given names.

or, very similar...
Shanghai Museum ed, "Chinese Artists' Seals and Signatures" (
Zhonguo Shuhuajia Yinjian Kuanshi), Beijing, 1987, 2 vols. Illustrates 23,000 seals and signatures of over 1200 Chinese artists from all periods.

for modern carvers...
"Seals and Signatures of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Painters" (
Zhonguo Xian Dangdai Shuhua Mingjia Yinkuan), Beijing, 1998. Illustrates about 3,000 different seal impressions and 500 signatures by 466 Chinese artists, active from 1919.

the definitive - and beautiful - source...
"Collection of Chinese Seals and Seal Carving," Vols. 3-4 (
Zhongguo Xiyin Zhuanke Quanji 3-4), Zhongguo Meishu Fenlei Quanji. Shanghai, 1999. The Shanghai Museum is the source on stone seals.