Chinese Seals: Sealscript fan by Li Jia-fu

I love not only the seals, but also the script, called zhuan shu, seal script.

This fan was made by Li Jia-fu (1829-1894) in year 10 of Guang-shu (by Chinese traditional reckoning), which would be 1885. The inscription in regular script, on the left, explains the occasion (approximately): Last year I happened to record my humble composition. I'm presenting this to my noble brother (an honorific--probably his host) for comment.

The seal script text basically says: When I went away to the north valley from the capital to escape the heat (on vacation), I saw birds and a river and rocks, etc. and I forgot the heat. I made this humble picture/poem.

It was common among the traditional scholarly aristocracy for a guest to give a gift to a man who hosted a visit, which were often quite long. The reference to a picture-poem suggests there may have been a drawing on the verso of the fan. It's not there now I'm sad to say.
(Thanks to Candice Lee for the translation)

Some background

While acquiring some Asian art of dubious provenance I found myself admiring the red seals (chops) more than the pictures. I now have about 150. Pecuniary considerations prevent me from acquiring seals of emperors or famous artists. Just as well, as my tastes run to the idiosyncratic and peculiar, a result, I suppose, of my involvment with contemporary art. I find the pugnacious lion below as interesting as the elegant dragon above.

Historically seal impressions are admired as tiny works of art, "the world in a square inch" as the author Jason Kuo says. The writing used in seals (zhuanshu) uses the first uniformly adopted Chinese script (c. 220 BCE) to convey names, ideas and sentiments. The side of the seal frequently carries a poetic verse, a scenic description, the date of the seal's engraving and/or the name of the carver in kaishu which after about 350 CE became (and is called) 'standard script.' So, in very short compass, there is a tight living history of the central Chinese artistic practice, calligraphy.

Originally (and still) seals were made in bronze or jade. For the past 500 years or so the material of choice has been varieties of soapstone known variously as Shou Shan, Mei Ling, Ba Lin and several others. These stones are prized above gems for their beauty. Some seals are plain in form; others are elaborately carved and decorated, frequently making clever use of color transitions in the stone. Ideally a seal will have a balance between the stone itself, carving, side inscriptions and impression.

Because Asian artists used a 'studio name,' usually poetic, to sign their works, their given names can be elusive. A traditional Chinese dating system uses a sixty-year revolving lunar calendar making exact dating a problem also. Where I'm unsure of a character I put in vacant brackets []. I don't speak or read Chinese, but have gotten pretty good at using both zhuanshu and kaishu dictionaries. My thanks to Alan Ho for making up for some of my many deficiencies.

The first (bottom) post here is a list of recommended books.

Chinese Seals

Sealscript fan by Li Jia-fu

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Links to my other sites

Bookstores/Websites for seals

Some background