China seal cutting originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and rose in the Warring States Period. Seal cutting flourished in Qin and Han Dynasties. The development period of seal cutting is from Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to Song and Yuan Dynasties. Among them, the function of seal was greatly expanded in Sui and Tang Dynasties, and literati painters and painters participated in seal creation in Song and Yuan Dynasties, which promoted the change of seal function from relying on letters to artistic appreciation. After the Ming Dynasty, seal cutting reached its climax. Seal cutting was very popular in Qing Dynasty. Seal cutting is a traditional art form, named after the seal script printed on the ancient seal.
Seal cutting is the art of combining calligraphy and carving (including chiseling and casting) to make seals. As far as the production technology is concerned, it refers to carving patterns or characters designed on the plane on materials such as metal, stone, teeth and horns. Chinese seals have different names with different users over time.
Introduction of seal cutting schools
Wen Peng was the eldest son of painter Wen Zhiming in Ming Dynasty. His poems, paintings and calligraphy are all inherited from his family, and he is especially good at seal cutting. Later seal engravers regarded him as the ancestor of seal engraving. Wenpeng School is called Wu School.
He Zhen, who is as famous as Wen Peng, studied under Wen Peng in his early years and later took the seal of Qin and Han. He created a variety of art forms in seal cutting, and was praised as a "master" who learned from the past and did not paint the past, which had a great influence on later generations. He Zhen School is called Huizhou School.
Cheng Xiang was the best in the early Qing Dynasty, and his seal cutting was quite creative. His white printing teacher, France, China and India, is thick and concise; Zhu Xi used the big seal script, which was bizarre and laid the foundation of Huizhou school.