The Development And Workmanship Of Seal Button

As a great treasure of Chinese traditional arts, the art of Chinese seal integrates Li carving, engraving, painting and calligraphy as one. It can be call one comprehensive art. The seal button, as an elementary part of seal, evolves with the development of seal, and doesn't not confined as with the function as a belt. It has been developed into a seal engraving art category, being generating new engraving workmanship and shift to an elegant art from its practical function. Its development is overlooked than that of Li carving, however, the research about its pattern evolving, function, meaning and rules worth discussion.This article contains four chapters. The first chapter reviews the definition of seal button and rules for its usage. The strict ranking system of feudal society also swept the button of official seal. Seal button works as a symbol to identify rank and position of officers.The second chapter goes deep into the culture shift of the development of seal button. Firstly, seal button in the period of practical usage. Secondly, seal button in the period of art. The practical ancient seal button is commonly defined from the time of its origin to the early Ming Dynasty. The pattern of seal button in this period is comparatively simple because of the confined engraving technique. The period of workmanship art of seal button is the peak of Chinese seal button art, and the mature period. Seal button meets its tide not only in technique and pattern but also in workmanship. This chapter summaries and analyze the development of seal button and its features in each period in the main clue of history.The third chapter mainly discusses with the element that impact the development, engraving of seal button, and the workmanship feature, and leading engraving genre as well. The reason why seal button can develop into an art from a practical article is that the adoption of seal stone provides preliminary condition for it. The ancient seal button and that of workmanship period differentiate with each other not only in pattern and elaboration; the more important is in production. With the workmanship comes into perfect, new engraving pattern and technique are gradually introduced. This part will show a detailed study in the process and technique of engraving in workmanship period, according to my own experience. As seal button goes into modern times, the art seal button separates with other engraving groups, and develops into its unique genre:Ximen Genre, featured of shallow relieve, Dongmen Genre, featured by circular engravure, and Collage Genre, absorbing the essence of both of the two genres.The fourth chapter, in today's social economy, the market of work of art is hot, and collection can be access to common people as a way to investment. Gradually, the work of seal button art prevails. This chapter discusses the market of the work of seal button art and the collection elements, based on my years of engraving and understanding about the market.