The characteristics of the times and the breath of seals are also evidence to identify calligraphy and painting. The flavor of the times of seal can be seen from its shape, seal script, engraving method, texture, printing color and so on. In the Song Dynasty, few paintings and calligraphy works were stamped with the artist's own seal.
Most painters and painters don't put their own seals on their works. In the Song Dynasty, the materials of seals were mostly copper and jade, and a few were other materials. There are two kinds of printing colors: honey printing and watermark (a few mimeographs appeared in the late Southern Song Dynasty). The honey print is red and thick, and the watermark is weak.
The aesthetic value of seal can be summarized into two aspects: the artistic beauty of seal and the material beauty of seal. The beauty of printing art can be divided into four parts: printing, printing, printing spectrum and printing decoration. To appreciate seal script, we must first master the characteristics of artistic expression techniques such as calligraphy, composition and knife cutting, and then understand the interest and implication contained in the content of seal script, and then savor it carefully and experience it slowly.
Classification of seal types
1, intaglio engraving and positive engraving. The intaglio engraving is called "Bai Wen" and the positive engraving is called "Zhu Wen". Seal cutting is divided into big seal and small seal. Han seal is the peak in the history of seal cutting, and future generations will follow suit! In addition to traditional seal cutting techniques, there are iron line seal cutting, ten percent seal cutting and palindrome seal cutting. There are also multilateral seals, single-character seals, official seals, private seals, commander seals, Xiao seals, seals, seals, flower seals, year seals and so on.
2. According to the printed materials, there are stone seals, jade seals, claw seals and bronze seals.
3. According to the seal shape, there are single-sided printing, multi-sided printing and overprint.
4. According to the use of seals, there are private seals, official seals (including urgent seals) and mud seals.
5. Classified by content form, including name seal, official seal, interest seal, collection seal, auspicious seal and Xiao seal.
6. According to the shape classification, there are square printing, circular printing and conformal printing.
7. According to the seal cutting form, there are Yang Wen (Zhu Wen) seal, (Bai Wen) seal and Yin and Yang seal.
8. According to the chronological classification, there are Qin seal, Han seal and Song seal (nine dead official seals).