Talking Seals
Don’t Bruise Your Stone
Most soft stone, like that used for seal carving, can be bruised.
15 April 2017

Stampeding Horses
Someone recently sent pictures of a carving of stampeding horses asking if the stone was shoushan.
1 April 2017

Sgraffito
One kind of decoration often seen on the sides of Chinese seals is a scratched design called sgraffito.
15 March 2017
Hard White Erasers
The Japanese sometimes cut seal designs into the end of a hard white eraser and use this as a stamp.
1 March 2017
No Second Chances
It is tradition that Chinese calligraphy be done all at once, with no corrections or reworking of the characters.
15 February 2017
Which is Easier?
People often assume it’s easier to cut a seal with fewer characters rather than one with more characters.
1 February 2017
Collecting Famous Seals
Occasionally a seal will be seen with a signature carved into the side of the stone by a famous Chinese seal artist.
15 January 2017
1 January 2017
15 December 2016
AliExpress
I took a quick look today at the China-based website AliExpress to find seal tools or stones.
1 December 2016