Things Chinese by Ronald G. Knapp

Author:Ronald G. Knapp
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0858-5
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

In order to use a seal, the engraved bottom must be pressed into a special red paste made of powdered cinnabar, a compound of mercury and castor oil that is bound together either with cut strands of silk or the dried mugwort herb, called moxa. When bound with silk, the thick paste appears smooth and has an oily appearance, while, bound with pulverized mugwort, it appears mottled like a sponge. Different techniques are required with each of these to obtain a clear impression with a distinctive hue and luster. The vermilion seal paste is usually held in a two-part shallow porcelain container, which itself is sometimes kept with the seals in a box lined with padded silk cloth.

Seal engraving stalls are found in towns and cities throughout China, even in Chinatowns abroad, to meet ongoing needs. Increasingly, they are also located in shopping malls as well as in hotel lobbies, since foreign tourists have come to view the specimens on display as novelties or unique souvenirs that can be personalized, with names either engraved in the tourist’s own language or translated into Chinese.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.