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Introduction to the History, Use and Function of Chinese Book Collectors’ Seals* FÖLSTER | INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE BOOK COLLECTORS‘ SEALS 25 Article Introduction to the History, Use and Function of Chinese Book Collectors’ Seals* Max Jakob Fölster | Hamburg εany old Chinese books (both printed ones and manuscripts) other hand, has a very long tradition of using seals to mark bear red stamps on them (see igs. 1 and β, for example). books and other collectibles, especially paintings and pieces seals’ of calligraphy. This dates back to at least the sixth century.6ش These are imprints of what is conventionally called (yinzhang 印). Book collectors’ seals (cangshuyin 印)1 What further distinguishes Chinese book collectors’ seals Ḳ one special kind of seal in China Ḳ are often compared from European ex libris is the common practice among to European bookplates or ex libris. In fact, some Western collectors of adding their seal imprint to those of previous libris seals’ for them.2 The owners.7 This sometimes resulted in large numbers of شscholars even use the term ex two have a number of common featuresμ they are not merely imprints being made in a single book. Not only can such marks of ownership, but have developed into a form of art in imprints be used to identify the various owners of a book, their own right, which could be used by collectors to express but they are also an important source of information in the their personality.3 Despite these similarities, however, there dificult task of authentication and open up the possibility of are also a number of important differences: bookplates are revealing which books once belonged to a speciic collector if a product of the age of printing in Europe, while Chinese the person did not happen to draw up or bequeath a catalogue book collectors’ seals are not exclusively conined to printed of the works in his collection. books.4 Bookplates only came into use around 14ι0 and This article is intended to provide a general introduction to were essentially printed for the most part.5 China, on the Chinese book collectors’ seals since these have not been the subject of much attention in Western scholarship so far. To this end, I have drawn on the rich Chinese secondary literature on * The research for this paper was sponsored by the German Research εanuscript this topic and have tried to include as many direct referencesش Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), SFB λη0μ Cultures in Asia, Africa and Europe’, and undertaken within the scope of tothe primary sources as possible.8 σeedless to say, this paper is Centre for the Study of εanuscript Cultures. I am indebted to Prof εichael Friedrich, the participants of his doctoral colloquium and my colleagues δinstill a mere outline and is by no means exhaustive. The article Hang 林 and Imre Galambos for their numerous helpful comments and corrections on earlier drafts. 1 Cangshuyin is the designation used most commonly todayν other terms are book is much older, of course. In Western Europe, such inscriptions are cangshuzhang or cangshu yinzhang 印. Historically used attested since the twelfth century (at least). τn ownership statements in bookmark’) as well as terms that may also the Islamic world, including the use of seals, see Gacek 1λκι and δiebrenzش) terms include tushuji 圖記 be used for seals in general such as tuyin 圖印, tuji 圖記, tuzhang 圖, 2011. tushu 圖 and yinji 印記. See also δai Fushun 1λλ1, 1γι. 6 In the ield of art history, seals are a well-known phenomenon and an 2 Van Gulik 1ληκ, 4βην Edgren 1λλι, ηλν Edgren β00θ, 1λι. important way of authenticating paintingsν see van Gulik 1ληκ, 41ιḲ4ηιν Contag and Wang 1λθθν Zhuang Yan et al. 1λθ4. 3 There are a number of studies comparing the twoμ Huang Zhiguang β011ν δiu Zhong et al. β001ν Wang Dongming 1λκιν Qian Jun 1λλκ, ικḲ101. 7 This use is not only restricted to China. In fact, it can be said that book Ex libris (cangshupiao 票) only came into use in China in the early collectors’ seals are characteristic of East Asian books in general (Kornicki twentieth century (δi Yunjing β000). 1λλκ, γλκ). Apart from China, a great deal of research on book collectors’ seals has also been conducted in Japan, e.g. τno 1λ4γ/1λη4, Watanabe and 4 Regarding the origin of Western bookplates, it has been argued that since Gotō β001 and Kokuritsu kokkai toshokan β00β. See also δin Shenqing printed books had lost their unique character, it was now necessary to β000b and δai Fushun 1λλ1, 1η1Ḳ1ηβ for an overview of the relevantش provide a designation of individual possession to protect them from theft or Japanese publications. even only confusion’ (Wolf 1λλγ, 14). Chinese seals have also been identiied as technical precursors of printing technology (Tsien 1λκη, 1γθḲ1γλ). 8 Since the completion of this article two book-length studies on the topic of Chinese book collectors’ seals have been publishedμ Wang Yuelin β014ν Wu 5 Pearson 1λλ4, 1βḲλθ. The common habit of inscribing one’s name in a Qinfang, Xie Quan β01η. mc NO 8 manuscript cultures 26 FÖLSTER | INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE BOOK COLLECTORS‘ SEALS Fig. 1: Print (Kangxi, 1662–1722) of the ‘Selected Writings by Tao An’. Fig. 2: Manuscript (Qing, 1644–1911) of the ‘Literary Treasures of the Hanlin Academy’. consists of ive parts. As book collectors’ seals are just one 1. Chinese seals speciic way in which seals were used in China in bygone The use of seals in China has a long history and book collectors’ days, the irst part provides a brief overview of Chinese seals are just one speciic area of application. In terms of their seals in general. Part two, which is divided into two sections, size and shape, book collectors’ seals are no different than any provides a chronological presentation of the history of Chinese other seals, therefore it will be helpful to give a brief overview book collectors’ seals. Section one covers the beginnings up to of Chinese seals in general to begin with.9 Although the the eleventh century, a period in which there seems to be no origins are still disputed among scholars, judging by the many clearly deined boundary between seals used exclusively for archaeological inds dating back to the ifth to third century books and those used on other objects. It is only in the eleventh BCE, it is safe to assume that seals were already in wide use at century that we ind more concrete evidence of seals being this time.10 They were employed in oficial and private settings used exclusively in books. This is the subject of section two, from early on. Institutional seals served to authenticate oficial which traces developments up to the present day. Part three is concerned with the places where seals were applied in books 9 The most extensive work on Chinese seals in a Western language is still and includes a description of certain rules for afixing such Wagner 1λλ4. A recent Chinese publication by Sun Weizu β010 has been translated into Englishμ Sun β010. Van Gulik 1ληκ, 41ιḲ4ηι, is still very imprints. Part four discusses the rich variety of seal legends one useful. τn the early history, see also Veit 1λκη. Short general introductions encounters. Finally, part ive discusses the purpose of books are provided by δauer 1λλθ and Wagner 1λλι. collectors’ seals beyond being mere marks of ownership. 10 Wagner 1λλ4, κγḲ10ιν 1λλι, β0η. See also Veit 1λκη. manuscript cultures mc NO 8 FÖLSTER | INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE BOOK COLLECTORS‘ SEALS 27 documents such as deeds and were also a symbol of authority. The area for carving the seal Ḳ the seal face Ḳ is essential σo oficial was deemed to be in possession of executive for the seal imprint. This is what is used to imprint the seal power before he had adopted the seals of ofice used by legend (yinwen 印文) on different bases. Early seals were sealing clays’ (fengni 封泥), asش his predecessor.11 Private or personal seals could be used in impressed on clay. These business contracts as a way of providing a degree of security they are known, were used to seal letters and documents. for both parties. In the eleventh century, private seals started to Since it is impossible to attach clay directly to bamboo or be used as signatures.12 Besides the more utilitarian purpose of wood, which were writing supports that were commonly seals as tokens of proof and trust, painters now started to sign used at the time, they were usually afixed with the help of their artwork this way.13 δater, in the ifteenth and sixteenth a cord.19 With the gradual shift to paper as writing support century, private seals even developed into specimens of ine in the third or fourth century CE,20 however, seals were able iron brush’ to be impressed directly on the material after having beenش art. Seal cutting (zhuanke 篆), or the art of the the sister of calligraphy’.14 It inked with a red pigment. In the beginning, water-based inkش tiebi 筆鐵), was referred to as) has remained a vibrant form of art to this day and has many was used for this purpose. Honey was added later to attain a admirers in East Asia.15 thick, plastic substance that allowed an exact impression to seal’ in Chinese, be made and prevented any smearing from occurring. Fromش σowadays, the common word for yinzhang (印), is often used to designate a seal as an object, the early twelfth century onwards, further improved oil- i.e. as a tool, as well as meaning the imprint it makes.16 A based ink pastes were used.21 Red was probably the preferred variety of materials were used to make such a tool.
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