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Shiyizhai Qin-Han yinpu 師意齋秦漢印譜

Aug 2, 2023 © Ulrich Theobald

Shiyizhai Qin-Han yinpu 師意齋秦漢印譜, also known as Cheng Lijiang Qin-Han yinpu 程荔江秦漢印譜, is a seal catalogue compiled during the high Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Cheng Conglong 程從龍 (fl. 1738), courtesy name Lijiang 荔江 or Zhenhua 振華, from Ganquan 甘泉 or Huaiyin 淮陰, Jiangsu.

The compiler says that among the more than 3,000 seals of the Qin 秦 (221-206 BCE) and Han 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) periods of his collection, many were forgeries produced at a later date, but also many objects on which the inscription was either worn and unreadable, or was intentionally erased and replaced by new inscriptions. In the end, only 1,200 seals in his collection were genuine and good, but in this number, there was still a certain amount of seals dating from later periods of time, even if they tried to imitate the style of Han-period objects.

The catalogue consists of 6 volumes presenting official and private seals. The last volume included seals of rulers (xi 璽) and talismanic seals (jiyu yin 吉語印). Each page shows the imprints of six seals, arranged in a grid. The book was published in 1738.

Source:
Wang Chongren 王崇人, ed. (2002). Zhongguo shuhua yishu cidian 中國書畫藝術辭典, Zhuanke 篆刻卷 (Xi'an: Shaanxi renmin meishu chubanshe), 108-109.