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.
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.
How to distinguish the true and false of ancient official seals
The ancient official seal was mainly distinguished from the real one by comparing it in many ways. We can understand that there are several ways to identify the authenticity of ancient official seals: 1. Observing the characteristics of the handprints: The handprints left by the ancient government in the case files were often the marks of the entire palm. By observing the size of the palm, the texture of the palm, the length of the knuckles, and other aspects, the error rate could be reduced. 2. Checking the seal: In ancient times, after an official was promoted, they would leave with the official seal that had been stamped on it. Then, they would go to the local area to check with the local seal. If the two were the same, he could confirm the authenticity of the official seal. 3. [Anti-counterfeit mark: The notes of ancient money houses usually have unique anti-counterfeit marks, such as secret codes and poems.] These marks could be compared to the order of the songs of Chu and the Book of Songs to distinguish the authenticity. 4. Observing the characteristics of the seal: The characteristics of the ancient official seal varied according to the dynasty. For example, the characters on the official seals of the Pre-Qin period were usually different characters, while the official seals of the Warring States period were occupied by all kinds of strange characters. By observing whether the seal on the seal matched the characteristics of the characters at that time, one could determine its authenticity. In summary, the authenticity of ancient official seals could be distinguished by observing the characteristics of the handprint, checking the seal, anti-counterfeit marks, and observing the characteristics of the seal.
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.
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.
In ancient times, which rank of officials had official seals?
In ancient times, officials of all ranks had official seals. The official seal was the symbol of an ancient official, used to indicate their official rank and power. The size and material of the official seal were related to the official's rank. The higher the official position, the larger the official seal. The imperial treasure was the highest grade of official seal. It was more than twice the size of the imperial seal of the three divisions, three dukes, and three princes of the imperial power, indicating the supremacy of the imperial power. The official seals included the emperor's imperial treasures, jade seals, and gold treasures, the official seals of all levels of court officials, the official seals of local administrative officials, the official seals of all levels of institutions, the official seals of military officials, the seals of low-level institutions, the seals of feudal feudal regime, the seals of ethnic minority regime, and the seals of peasant uprising regime. Therefore, officials of all ranks had official seals.
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 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.
Ancient and modern seals
Gujin Yinze was a four-volume manual copied and selected by Cheng Yuan in the Ming Dynasty. The book included the ancient seals, jade seals, marquis seals, private seals, and imperial seals of the Qin and Han Dynasties. Cheng Yuan was a famous seal cutter in the Ming Dynasty. His seal script and seal carving were very recognized at that time and were known as the three pillars of the seal world. He had carefully selected the seals of various collections and the works of famous seal carvers at that time to copy and create the Ancient and Modern Seal. This book was published during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and was one of the best at that time. It was not only an important record of ancient seals, but also a display of the level and style of the art of seal carving at that time.
Collection of ancient seals
The Collection of Ancient Seals was a set of six volumes of Seals compiled by Gu Congde in 1572 during the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty. It contained the seals of the author himself and others, including more than 150 jade seals and 1600 bronze seals. This set of seals was the first of its kind, and after it was published, it caused a huge shock in the world of gold and stone. In 1575, the number of jade seals increased to more than 220, and the number of bronze seals increased to more than 3200. Ji Gu Yin Pu was very detailed in the arrangement of the title, the specifications of the paper, the translation and other aspects, which laid the foundation for the later seal. This set of seal records preserved the appearance of ancient seals and had important reference value for the study of Qin and Han seals.