Talking Seals

Most soft stone, like that used for seal carving, can be bruised.

15 April 2017

Someone recently sent pictures of a carving of stampeding horses asking if the stone was shoushan.

1 April 2017

The Japanese sometimes cut seal designs into the end of a hard white eraser and use this as a stamp.

1 March 2017

“What stone is it?” is one of the most often asked question about Chinese seals.

15 October 2015

An elderly Chinese scholar once asked me to cut a seal for him from a stone he had purchased in Taiwan.

15 September 2015

You might take it for granted that an expensive stone should be carvable but, as always, it’s buyer beware.

15 August 2015

When you buy a seal stone, especially a cheaper stone, you will sometimes find it covered in a layer of wax.

15 August 2013