China Famous People Seal Collection (Volume 1, 2, and 3)

Author: Chu Shi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Seals originated in the Shang and Zhou dynasties and flourished during the Qin and Han periods, categorized as official and private seals, both serving as proof of identity. Most were made of bronze, worn by officials and commoners alike. The forms of private seals were richer and more diverse than those of official seals. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, cultural and artistic achievements have grown increasingly prosperous, with the collection and appreciation of calligraphy, painting, and classical texts becoming the fashion among scholars. Their seals varied in form, unconstrained by tradition. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, had a reign-title seal with a linked pattern inscribed [Zhenguan], while Li Bi, a prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, had a collection seal inscribed [Duan Shu Ji]. These were the early examples of seals used by Chinese literati. During the Song Dynasty, seals on calligraphy and painting inscriptions became popular, with the appreciation and research of calligraphy, painting, and stone inscriptions flourishing. Seals were used even more widely by scholars and refined gentlemen, giving rise to collection seals, collection hall seals, personal name seals, and decorative seals. By the Ming Dynasty, Wen Peng began carving seals from frozen stone, pioneering the tradition of literati carving and engraving their own seals. Thus, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, seal styles became prominent, with renowned masters emerging one after another. Seals were widely used for calligraphy, paintings, letters, and collection purposes. Scholarly and famous individuals either carved their own seals, commissioned others to engrave them, or cherished and played with them, or stored them in chests, finding joy in their own way. Observing the private seals of past dynasties reveals the three thousand years of evolution and development of Chinese seals. China has a long history, and the number of private seals by famous individuals is countless. I have now compiled the Seal Spectrum of Chinese Famous Figures, collecting nearly three hundred famous individuals from the Tang Dynasty to the present, with over a thousand seals. Alas, due to limited resources at hand, this compilation may have omissions, for which I apologize. On the late winter day of the eleventh month of the Guihai year, Chu Shi compiled this at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.