Looking at Seals: Sunlight

You’ll have to use your own imagination to decide why the word “sunlight” (日光 riguang) was chosen for this seal from the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), since no one is sure what the meaning is. Whatever its purpose, it was important enough for the owner to have it cast in bronze—as were the majority of seals from the Han dynasty. It does point out that anything can be used for a seal, from a single word to a long poem. The modern Chinese seal carver admires the rough, weathered look of these antique models and tries to imitate that quality in their own seals.