Seal is also called seal, seal, etc. The shape of seals, whether official or folk, is generally square, and a few are round, rectangular, oval or other geometric shapes. There are turtle buttons, lion buttons, fish buttons, dragon buttons and tiger buttons on the back of ancient seals, forming a wide variety of button printing art. After the Tang Dynasty, seals gradually changed from ordinary practical products to ornamental works of art. In the Song Dynasty, with the development of literati painting, the atmosphere of collecting calligraphy and painting became more and more prosperous. Scholars like to engrave nicknames, characters, house names and collection seals on calligraphy and painting works, and combine calligraphy and painting with seal cutting to make them complement each other. Seal has really become a unique art in China. Since then, seal cutting has developed further and some famous seal engravers have appeared. Wen Peng was a famous seal engraver in Ming Dynasty. He tried his best to restore ancient ways, and his brushwork was beautiful and smooth, so he was called "the originator of seal cutting" by later generations. In the Qing Dynasty, Deng's attitude towards India was very healthy, and his knife and brushwork were integrated, forming a unique style. The inscription of "Washing Spring" in Qin and Han Dynasties unearthed in Chair Zhao in Qing Dynasty was unique and all the rage.

Where there is a seal, there is a print. The existing famous prints include Ji Gu Yin Ge, Xuanhe Pu Yin in Song Dynasty, Gu Yinxuan and Ji Gufan in Ming Dynasty, Hong Feitang Pu Yin and seal script theory in Qing Dynasty, and the modern Selected Prints of Eight Schools in Xiling. Yin Shi, which carved seals, mainly used Qingtian stone, Shoushan stone, feldspar stone and Chifeng stone as raw materials. Tian Huangshi is the most precious stone, which is loved by printers, and bloodstone and frozen stone are also more precious. In addition, sealing materials include gold, silver, copper and iron.

The development of seals has a long history of more than two thousand years. The identification of seals of past dynasties has the following characteristics:

During the Warring States period, seals were mostly made of copper and jade, including official seals and private seals, including name seals, ancient language seals and portrait seals. Most seals are nose buttons. The seal of Qin dynasty inherited the characteristics of the button printing in Warring States, and the engraving was very rough and straightforward. The seal of Han dynasty is the peak in the history of seal cutting in China, especially the royal seal is beautifully made, with white jade as the material and tiger as the buckle. The seal of civil and military officials is gold, and according to officials, there are fish buckles and nose buckles. Gold-plated and silver-plated seals and buttons to ward off evil spirits appeared in the Three Kingdoms and the Jin Dynasty. There were many official seals handed down from generation to generation in the Tang Dynasty, few private seals and many official seals with nose buckles. After the Tang Dynasty, seals made of gold, silver, precious stones, jadeite, coral, amber, beeswax, boxwood, bamboo roots and jade appeared. In the Song Dynasty, seals began to have characters, also called "flowers". The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the heyday of seal cutting in China, with various schools, famous artists and different styles. The official seals in Qing Dynasty are all compared with those in Manchu Dynasty, while the private bronze seals in Qing Dynasty are rare, mostly lithographs. During the Republic of China, seals were mostly lithographs, which inherited the characteristics of the Qing Dynasty. In addition to stones, they are also made of wood, bamboo, jade, gold, copper, iron, plexiglass, rubber and other materials, and the seals of Xiling Seal Society are more precious.

Bao Bo has many experts in calligraphy and painting appraisal, such as Zhang Lijun, Zhang Ping and Wu Tunyun. To identify it, you can go to Bao Bo Art Network.