By Shixiang Fan ·® ÊÀ Ïé ÖΠʯ
	E N T E R [Calligraphy Room] [Seals/Chops Room] [Poems Room] [ABOUT ME] | [GUEST BOOK] ©All rights reserved. This is my personal web site. If you have any comments or suggestions, please email me at: webhub@gmail.com

"The history of Chinese seal carving can be dated back to the time of the Chow-Han Dynasty.Seal carvers of the modern times cannot often avoid making reference to the classical works of those renowned calligraphers in the Chow-Han or Ching Dynasty. However, from the time after Han to Ching ( i.e. the Tong , Sung , Yuen Dynasty ) the use of seal for personal identification was less common. The art of seal carving then came to a dormant period in history. Till Ching Dynasty, an atmosphere of renaissance gradually emerged along with the trend of archaeology development. Many educated people followed the old style and put seal-prints on their finished works of painting, writing and poetry. As the art of seal carving became popular, the seal-carvers grouped themselves into different schools according to the style of their work. Among those, there were three most influential to the modern work, namely Chiu Chee Him , Ng Cheong Yen and Chai Pak Shek . All of them were also outstanding painters, calligraphers and poem-writers. Seal-chops are made of jade, ivory, or soft precious stones. The body of the chop can be of different sizes and shapes. The 'head' may be sculpted into shape of animal like fish, goat, lion, dragon, or any other symbolic image. Besides for use on traditional paintings and calligraphy, name seals are nowadays also used as a personal identification in money transactions and other bussiness matters." ---- From the Seal Carving Page. "Inextricably linked to the arts of calligraphy and painting, seals and seal carving occupy a central place in Chinese culture. No work of calligraphy or painting is deemed complete until a seal impression is affixed. Carved on stones selected for their subtle colors, textures, and markings, seals are indispensable components of the literati s set of writing implements. Yet seal carving is not the mere appurtenance of painting and calligraphy: it is valued both as an independent lapidary art and, through the study of the ancient characters carved on seals, as a vital link with antiquity. The seal is thus at once a tool, a work of art and an embodiment of palaeographic research." ---- From Sun & Moon. I have collected some of my seal works here. They represent my seal carving style and my understanding of the art of seal carving. Seal Carving is my favoriate hobby, it also has been giving me a lot of joy, excitement and so much more. If you studied enough on this "palm pearl", you will appreciate it... If you like seal carving, and would like to have your own one, please contact me at: fanandxue@yahoo.com, Thank you!