The Mozhai Foundation

The Mozhai Foundation is a philanthropic, not-for-profit institution established in 2013 by the family of Jung Ying Tsao (1929-2011), a scholar, collector, and connoisseur of Chinese art.

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Archaic Seals

CHINESE SEALS FROM THE TSAO FAMILY COLLECTION

 Throughout Chinese history, seals have been prized as windows into a rich and venerable cultural heritage. In the past seal impressions served to ensure authority and security for government documents. Personal seals could indicate one’s title, rank, and social status. In constant use from the Shang dynasty (16th-11th c. BCE) down to the present day, seals have been fashioned in a wide variety of forms out of metal, stone, and other durable materials. The content of a seal impression consists most commonly of a small number of characters – a name or short phrase – and more rarely of a simple pictorial image or abstract motif. A seal’s surface may be engraved in either intaglio or relief. Since the standardization of the written language in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), most seals have featured the calligraphic style known as lesser-seal (xiaozhuan), though other scripts also appear. The seal artist’s knife has been called the “iron brush” due to its potential for creative expression as found in the brush arts of painting and calligraphy. Expertise in seal carving requires not only mastery of engraving techniques and extensive knowledge of archaic scripts but also an aptitude for design within the limits of a small format and a single color – the vermilion red of seal ink. Such aesthetic considerations carry forward to painters and calligraphers in their choice of a particular seal and its placement on one of their own works of art. This slide show, presented with permission from the Tsao family, presents examples from a collection of over 1,700 seals spanning the period from the 4th century BCE (Eastern Zhou and Warring States periods) to the 20th century. This collection encompasses the full spectrum of creativity in the art of the seal from ancient to recent times.

 

  • slide 01
    1 of 15      Personal Name Half-Seal, Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), bronze, 16 mm. Imprint: 張效
  • slide 02
    2 of 15      Personal Name Half-Seal, Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), bronze, 9 mm. Imprint: 王喜
  • slide 03
    3 of 15      Palace Seal, Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), bronze, 18 mm. Imprint: 玆縣
  • slide 04
    4 of 15      Round wooden seal, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), wood, 5 mm. Imprint: 福 (good fortune)
  • slide 05
    5 of 15      Design Seal, Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368), bronze, 9 mm. Imprint: rabbit image.
  • slide 06
    6 of 15      Design Seal, Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368), jade, 7.5 mm. Imprint: abstract image.
  • slide 07
    7 of 15      Design Seal, Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368), bronze, 19 mm. Imprint: abstract image.
  • slide 08
    8 of 15      Design Seal, Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368), bronze, 11 mm. Imprint: abstract image.
  • slide 09
    9 of 15      Private and Leisure Writing Seal, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), bronze, 29 mm. Imprint: 餘山
  • slide 10
    10 of 15      Two-Sided Apparel Seal, Han Dynasty (202 BCE -220 AD), bronze, 6 mm. Imprint: 諸葛買得, 諸葛少孫
  • slide 11
    11 of 15      Interlocking Seal, Han Dynasty (202 BCE -220 AD), bronze, 14.5 mm. Imprint: 騏恭私印, 廷之
  • slide 12
    12 of 15      Private Name Seal, Han Dynasty (202 BCE -220 AD), bronze, 12 mm. Imprint: 謝宣私印
  • slide 13
    13 of 15      Name Seal, Han Dynasty (202 BCE -220 AD), jade, 12 mm. Imprint: 安夷
  • slide 14
    14 of 15      Round Full Name Seal, Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), bronze, 6 mm. Imprint: illegible
  • slide 15
    15 of 15      Personal Name Half-Seal, Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), bronze, 28 mm. Imprint: 杜印

 

 

The Mozhai Foundation © 2023
Office: 1512-B Walnut Street
Gallery: 1509-B Shattuck Avenue                Berkeley, CA 94709 USA
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