What do official and private seals mean?
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.
Official and Private Seals of China
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.
Ancient Official Seals
The Encyclopedia of Ancient Official Seals was a list of different types of official seals. We can get some information about ancient official seals, but we don't have a complete collection of official seals. According to the historical records, there were many types of ancient official seals, including the emperor's jade seal, the imperial treasure, the official seal of all levels of court officials, the official seal of local administrative officials, the official seal of all levels of institutions, the official seal of military officials, the seal of low-level institutions, the seal of feudal regime, the seal of ethnic minority regime, the seal of peasant uprising regime, and so on. These official seals were different in terms of material, button style, and seal text, reflecting the rank and power of different official positions. However, the specific types and forms of official seals required further research and data collection to give a complete collection of official seals.
Ancient Official Seals 'Levels
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.
Official Seals of the Tang Dynasty
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 price of private seals in the Warring States Period
The price range of the private seal of the Warring States Period. According to the document [2], an ordinary official seal of the Qin and Han Dynasties would cost about 40,000 to 50,000 yuan, while a high-grade jade seal of the Marquis Guiniu of the Warring States Period would cost more than a million yuan. It was mentioned in the document [3] that in 2000 - 2001, the general nose button Qin and Han seals were around 300 - 400 yuan, and the ancient seals of the Warring States Period and other button seals were slightly more expensive. Based on this information, it could be inferred that the price of the private seal of the Warring States Period should be between a few hundred yuan and a million yuan.
Official Seals of Qing Dynasty Officials
The official seals of officials at all levels in the Qing Dynasty differed according to their grades and positions. The official seals of the Qing Dynasty were divided into six grades: treasure, seal, customs defense, map record, regulation record and record. The seal was made of gold, three inches and six minutes square and one inch thick. Seals were used by permanent and administrative organizations. Their size ranged from three inches to two inches and one minute, and one inch to four minutes and four centimeters thick. They were made of silver or copper. The customs seal was used by temporary institutions that dealt with finance, engineering, and other matters. The specific information of other grades of seals such as pictures, records, and records was not mentioned. In addition, there were certain rules on the shape and text of the official seal. For example, the official seal was square, and temporary and unofficial officials did not use official seals. In general, the official seals of officials at all levels of the Qing Dynasty differed according to their positions and ranks.
What are the names of the official seals of the Warring States Period
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
Comparing the sizes size ancient official seals
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.
What does 'naruto paid for seals fanfiction' mean?
In the Naruto universe, seals play a very important role. So if it's about Naruto paid for seals in fanfiction, it might be that the writer of the fanfiction has come up with a scenario where Naruto, for some reason, has to pay for seals. It could be that he's in a situation where he doesn't have the time or the skills to create his own seals. Maybe he's on a tight schedule for a mission and needs some ready - made seals that are only available through payment. It could also be part of a larger story arc where his purchase of these seals gets him into trouble with other characters or groups in the Naruto world.
The imperial seals of the Warring States Period and the Qin and Han Dynasties were mainly official seals
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.