Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries

Hi. Here is another challenge for the wise master. Any help translating the seal and the inscription would be greatly appreciated !!

The bianke - the carving on the side of the seal reads 西泠印社。
Xi Ling Yin She. This is the oldest and most famous seal carving society in the world, located in HangZhou, the main city of ZheJiang province.

Could you please clean the seal and either make an impression, or show the cleaned face.

A seaLin this condition is insulting to the art of the seal carver. Warm water, soap and an old toothbrush might make the seal presentable again.

Thank you for your kind response and for sharing your knowledge. I have made a seal impression and I have cleaned the seal. I hope that this may help identify the meaning of the seal. Your help is most appreciated.

Thank you for cleaning the stone.

The image is clear and very professionally carved, as one would expect from a member of XiLingShe.

It reads 史密斯 - in PinYin: Shi Mi Si, which is a way of writing Smith in Chinese characters.

The fact that the carver merely carved Xi Ling She on the side and didn't sign the stone suggests that this was done for a tourist named Smith.

Many thanks for the sharing of your knowledge !

史密斯　-　Shimisi - Smith (name)

With regards,
I,Nagy

Once again I respectfully thank the master himself. Wishing you well !

The Xilingyinshe in Hangzhou has a shop on their grounds and aggressively market seals to tourists. Pick a stone, tell them what you want on it, and they have it carved.

I suspect that, for these unsigned seals, students at the China Art Academy on the other side of the lake may be doing some of the carving. Those I've seen are good quality workmanship if not very artistic.

I suggest cleaning stones very carefully as some of the highest quality stone can be very soft.

Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |