Qibaishi, Panshenshou, Fu Baoshi Seal Collection Essentials

Author: Wang Pingping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: In the authentication of calligraphy and painting, the seal is a supplementary evidence, but it is often a fatal flaw in a forgery. Discussing the level and style of brushwork is subjective, leading to differing opinions, with clear disagreements often emerging among national-level experts. However, the authenticity of seals is relatively easier to determine, making their comparison still irreplaceably important in today's collection and appreciation work. The comparison of seals primarily focuses on three aspects of "fatal flaws." First, check if the size of the same seal is consistent. Second, verify whether the use of the seal is correct in terms of timing. Generally, after completing a work, calligraphers and painters often stamp their name seals below the inscription, meaning the name seal is stamped close to the completion time of the artwork. Of course, there are cases where seals are added after several years, but this is more common with decorative seals. If a painter's early works bear the name seals of their middle or later years, caution is advised. Third, the usage pattern of the seal, particularly decorative seals. For example, Xie Ziliu had several decorative seals with the phrase "," which he only used on ink-and-painting and landscape works from the 1970s onwards. If a 1940s Xie-style meticulous painting of court ladies is found with such a seal, it would be laughably incorrect.
Although the comparison of seals is a crucial step in the authentication of calligraphy and painting, using this method currently requires attention to three issues:
1. Be aware of the use of computer technology and zinc plate engraving techniques to forge seals, which can be almost indistinguishable from genuine ones.
2. Fully consider the variations in appearance of the same seal under different conditions of ink pad dryness, thickness, and the force applied by the stamp.
3. For some deceased contemporary masters whose seals are still scattered in private hands, it is essential to account for the possibility of forgeries using their authentic seals.