Among China’s cultural landscape, the use of seals or stamps holds a special place. Unlike the signature tools in Western countries, in China, the seal is closely associated not only with the use of important documents but also with arts, social, and official life (Lawrence,2014, p.4; Sun, 2004, p.4).
Chinese seals evolved over three thousand years, some dating back to the fifth to third century BCE (Chung, 2020; Fölster, 2015). Among the royals and government officials, it was a symbol of authentication, authority and power and private seals could only be used in business contracts or artwork after the eleventh century (Fölster, 2015). This distinction underscores the deep social classification and the roles seals played in governance and personal identity.
Materially, seals changed over time to adjust to new technological and aesthetic standards. Bronze was first used for seals and, in the subsequent periods, precious metals and stones, as well as jade and ivory were also used for seal production (Fölster, 2015; Lawrence, 2014, p.27-29). It allowed for artistic expression and preservation and the choice of material also demonstrated the status and taste of the seal owner.
The colour red is mainly used in Chinese seals because the colour is striking and easy to be recognized among black words (Fölster, 2015). According to Chinese tradition, red also means happiness and good fortune. This aspect aligns with the red Pikachu stamp. Most of the seal legends are characters, including names or titles (Fölster, 2015).
However, the presence of pictorial seals with different patterns and ethnic characters during the Song Dynasty (960-1279CE) and the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368CE) profoundly influenced the evolution of seal design (Chen, 2018). Song Yuan Huaya is a typical type of pictorial seal that incorporates various elements, such as the deer, rabbit, and wrestling activities (Chen, 2018). Based on this classification, we could know the origin of Pikachu’s stamp. It belongs to the pictorial seal which engraves the cute face of Pikachu and some Chinese knot pattern.
Chen, A. (2018). Silk Road Influences on the Art of Seals: A Study of the Song Yuan Huaya. Humanities, 7(3), 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/h7030083
Chung, L. C. (2020). Glimpses into the Past: Chinese Seals and Seal Impression Catalogues through the Dynasties. Lee Shau Kee Library; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. https://library.hkust.edu.hk/exhibitions/seal/
Fölster, M. J. (2015). Introduction to the History, Use and Function of Chinese Book Collectors’ Seals. Manuscript Cultures, 8, 25–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/v3vh-8y89
Lawrence, E. (2014). The Chinese Seal in the Making, 1904-1937 [PhD Thesis]. https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8KH0VPS/download
Sun, W. (2004). Chinese seals: Carving Authority and creating history. Long River Press.
One of Qianlong’s official seals. White jade carved with dragon. (n.d.). [Online image]. In China Online Museum. https://www.comuseum.com/culture/seals/
Zuber, A. (2022). Chinese stone seal stamp [3D model]. In Sketchfab. https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/chinese-stone-seal-stamp-8be3128f60c942d9b1f578c6070c2ca0