Name Seals from Tangs

A seal, in an East and Southeast Asian context, is a general name for printing stamps and impressions thereof which are used in lieu of signatures in personal documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgment or authorship. The process started in China and soon spread across East Asia. China, Japan, and Korea currently use a mixture of seals and hand signatures, and, increasingly, electronic signatures.

Chinese seals are typically made of stone, sometimes of metals, wood, bamboo, plastic, or ivory, and are typically used with red ink or cinnabar paste. The colloquial name chop, when referring to these kinds of seals, was adapted from the Hindi word chapa and from the Malay word cap, meaning stamp or rubber stamps. In Japan, seals (hanko) have historically been used to identify individuals involved in government and trading from ancient times. The Japanese emperors, shōguns, and samurai each had their own personal seal pressed onto edicts and other public documents to show authenticity and authority. Even today Japanese citizens' companies regularly use name seals for the signing of a contract and other important paperwork. Source: wikipedia

Photo credit: tabilover.jcb.jp

Where to buy: Tangs Store in Peninsula Hotel (Mezzanine Shop No. MW4, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui)

Tel: +852 2721 1382

Website: Tangs Hong Kong

Hours: Monday to Sunday: Open 24 hours