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Chinese Seal Stones and Accessories
A General Description

A painting is not considered complete unless it bears one or more of the artist's seals. These small patches of vermilion red usually spell out the name of the artist, sometimes the name of the studio, or a statement referring to the mood or inspiration of the artist.

STUDENT GRADE INK STONES

Seal are carved by hand in stone, which makes it virtually impossible to create an identical copy of a seal. In China, Japan and Korea, a person's seal is recognized as having the same status as their signature. Seals are made out of various materials, usually stone, but also semi-precious stones (jade, crystals), ivory, wood etc. There is a very large range of stones for used for seal making. Their value varies a great deal, some of the stones are priced as high as AUD$400.00 for a 17mm square seal. We carry a broad range in the shop, with prices starting as low as AUD$2.80 for beginner's practice stones, up to hundreds of dollars for specially carved sets.

SEAL MAKING SERVICE
In the Orient, seal carving is considered an art form, and it has been very difficult to find a good seal carving artist in Australia. After many years of intensive searching, we have secured an excellent artist carve seals for our clients. Now we can offer our clients a special service which includes translating their names or inspirational thought into the appropriate Chinese characters with poetic or philosophical meaning, then have it expertly engraved on the seal. The procedure usually takes about 10 days to 2 weeks.

The cost of a standard 17mm square seal - designed and carved - is AUD$85.00. You are most welcome to come to the shop, and discuss the details of your translated name or artwork/design.

Alternately, if you are unable to call at the shop we accept faxed or emailed images/information or you could phone us during working hours.

Here are a few pointers about the shape and size of the stone and its imprint:

1. There are different shape and sizes of the seal stones. The most conventional shape is square, but also available are round, oval, and other freeform shapes, like the shape of a wine gourd, etc. Round and freeform seals are often carved into rectangular shaped stones to provide control of 'orientation' when you are make the imprint on your painting or document.

2. The size of the seal stone should be chosen to suit the size of the work it is to be used on.Here are a few pointers about the shape of the stone and its imprint.


Our seal carving services also include Western monograms (2 characters, as shown in the picture at left) suitable for use as a wax seal. The cost is the same as Chinese character carving: AUD$85.00. We have 2 or 3 different monogram couplets for every combination of the alphabet - please email or call us with your fax number and the first letter of your first name and last name - and we will fax samples of the monogram for you to choose from for your order.

These monogram seals have an innate beauty and simplicity, and give an impression of the type of person using the seal. Our seal carver is able to carve western style initials onto a stone for you, and can even carve simple pictures of your own choice.

Both Chinese seals and monogram seals can be used with as a wax seal. Nowadays, wax sticks come in many colours, and this can change the appearance of the seal and the card etc that you use it on.

Both the Chinese seals and the monogram seals are made from various kinds of stone, which have been chosen as being most suitable for seal making. These stones are relatively hard but brittle, so care must be taken when handling them. Because of this we suggest a few very simple rules:
1. Never allow the seal to be more than six inches off any surface.
2. Never carry the seal without packing.
3. Always clean the seal after every application.
4. As these seals are made from various kinds of stone (that have been chosen as the most suited for seal making), the stones are hard but brittle, so care must be taken when handling them.

An artist who has attained respect of others in this field has carved your finished seal. The design and execution follow certain traditional conventions. The more you understand of these traditions, the more you will enjoy your seal.

HOW TO BE SURE YOUR SEAL IMPRESSION IS UPRIGHT

You need to know that your seal impression will be correctly oriented, not upside down or running sideways. If your seal stone has an ornamental top, such as a lion, dragon or other creature, study the direction that the animal is facing relative to the orientation of the seal image. You will also notice that most finished seals have the seal carver's signature on one of the sides of the stone. This should always be the left hand side of the seal. So, if you are right handed, you would hold the seal with the signature side facing left, your thumb against the side facing you and your first and second fingers on the side opposite holding the seal comfortably upright. You are now able to see clearly that the seal is correctly placed on your work. This is the correct method of holding the seal stone.

Please read our section on 'Seal Mud' - the special red 'ink' for making seal impressions. We also explain how to look after 'seal mud', and how to ensure the perfect application of your seal on your paintings.

FANCY BOXES FOR SEALS
We carry boxes covered in brocade material which can accommodate one or two seals. Some boxes also have with for the traditional ceramic 'seal mud' container. These are ideal gifts to give someone who has done you a favor, or for that person "who has everything"...

SEAL STAMP PADS - GENERAL DESCRIPTION

There are basically two types of 'seal mud', one is the water based, the other oil based. We carry both types, but recommend the oil based ones for permanence and clarity of image. The water based 'seal mud' usually comes in small metal tins. They are much cheaper and are commonly used in day-to-day commercial documentation procedures, such as invoices, etc.


When you are putting your seal on more important documents or paintings, you should only use the good oil based 'seal mud'. The traditional colour is Vermilion red, but we also carry 'seal mud' in black. These oil based 'seal muds' usually come in a traditional ceramic container, which is decorated on the outside, and always supplied in either a varnished wood or a silk-brocade wrapped box. There are four different grades of oil based 'seal mud': 'Keak' - the ultimate, is the top of the range; 'Kung' "a gift suitable for the king", is the second best; 'Tsuen' - the 'treasure' quality is the third; 'Shang' - an above average quality 'mud', is the lowest of the range.

HINTS ON APPLYING THE SEALS IMAGES TO PAPER

Hsien painting paper (sometimes called 'rice' paper) gives the best seal impressions. The seal should be placed on the paper with great preparation and concentration. Make sure you have between 5-10 sheets of newsprint or equivalent (soft) paper underneath the place on your painting where the seal will be placed. Prepare the seal by dabbing the face of the seal onto the 'seal mud', slowly and carefully building an even layer of the mud on the face of the stone. Very carefully hold the stone over the place you want the impression, and when you are satisfied with position and orientation, gently lower it onto the paper. Press down gently but firmly, making sure the stone does not move on the paper, then holding the painting down, carefully lift the seal from the painting.

The 'seal mud' should always receive the most careful attention every time you use it. Before use, you should stir the contents with the small bone stirrer provided in the box, forming the 'mud' into a small ball-like mound. Now the seal can be dabbed onto the ball of 'mud with precision. The seal should never be forced to sink into the 'seal mud'.

Good quality 'seal muds' from Beijing, Souzhou or Shanghai, have a heavy concentration of ground mineral vermilion (mercuric sulphide). The mineral is ground to a very fine powder, and the finest particles are separated using of water submersion techniques for use in making 'seal mud'. This powder is blended with oils and fibres to create a concentrated mixture, the quality can be judged from the opaqueness of the seal impression on the paper. Just hold the seal imprint on paper against the light. The very good 'seal muds' have a lot of mineral in them and appear to create a raised surface.

PRICES

Blank Seal Stones (with an undecorated end) come in a great range of sizes and shapes, as shown in the picture (left). There are oval stones, round stones, rectangular and squat square shapes, also a beautiful range of types of stone. As can be seen from the colours in our picture - every colour from black to white is possible.

1. Blank stones are relatively cheap We have student quality stones for beginner carvers - priced from AUD$3.00.
2. The standard size seal normally used for paintings is a 1.7cm or 2cm square tipped stone, which will cost from AUD$6.00 to AUD10.00.
3. Oval stones that look like a pebble cut in half, come in random shapes and sizes, costing AUD$6.00 up to AUD$12.00 each.
4. Round long stones are either plain or carved with a lion on one end, they cost AUD$10.50 up to AUD$12.50.
5. Matched pairs of square stones, normally used for marriage sets come in a brocade or material covered box. They are often carved with a lion on top and in 'left and right' form. These sets range from miniature to fairly large and cost from AUD$40.00 to AUD$60.00.

SEAL PADS, CERAMIC DISHES, RE-FILL INK

As shown in the seal pads picture above, starting from the left, empty ceramic dishes with a blue dragon design on the lid - designed to hold the red seal mud are AUD$8.00 each. Water based red seal mud in tins are AUD$6.10 each. The re-fill seal pad ink in red (shown in the plastic pack), has 2 teal by weight (1x teal is 35 grams), for AUD$8.30. These are also available in white at AUD$17.50 and in bright yellow at AUD$22.40 for small packs.
The right side of the picture shows the brocade boxed red seal mud in ceramic dish, with a bone mixing paddle. The cost is AUD$35.00. These contain top grade vermilion, mixed with artemisia fibres and linseed oil.

Here are accessories for seal makers, and beginners carving blocks. In detail, to the left of the picture are round Bamboo root tips and green stone blocks (2cm square tips for carving), these are used to learn to carve on, or are used to do a mock-up carving as a sample before doing the actual work on higher quality stone They cost AUD$3.00 to AUD$5.00.
Next there 2x squaring/aligning devices to allow a finished seal to be imprinted ‘square’ on a page. An older style Rosewood ‘square’ costs AUD$20.00 each, the more modern blue plastic version is AUD$5.00.

For people wishing to carve their own seals, a wooden seal vice will hold a stone steady whilst carving characters or designs. This item costs AUD$20.00 for a small size, or from AUD$25.00 to $35.00 for medium sizes as shown (top right of the picture above).
No seal carving is possible without the correct stone chisels, 2x are shown here (bottom right of the picture above) having the specially shaped carving tips. Standard steel chisels are available and quite cheap.
Other Chisels have the harder tungsten steel tip. These come in:
Fine 3mm at AUD$14.00 each,
Medium 5mm at AUD$18.20 each,
Broad width 9mm AUD$29.40 each.

"The Eight Immortals" seal set. The seal blank size on the base is 3cm square, with the tops carved in the images of the classical 8 Immortals, all with an animal.

The set is really a collector's piece, and could be carved appropriately with Chinese seal script of the 8 virtues etc. Covered in blue linen, the box is silk inlaid in red and pink. This set costs AUD$200.00, plus post and packing.

See the enlarged detail of one stone to the right of the eight.
"Chinese Astrology Sign" seal stones are available with a blank/uncarved ends, we can custom carve this with your name in Chinese seal script.

The animals are the classical astrological symbols for your year of birth: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

The tip size of the stone is 2cm square. We sell the stones for AUD$15.00 each.
Please see the detail of the animal carving in the pictures of the Monkey and Snake.

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Prices subject to change without notice
Page checked June 2008