Shang Shui (Mountains and Water) Stamp: Hand Carved Japanese Inkan Seal

This is an Oriental stone seal with a hand carved Old Style inscriptions of 山水 (shanshui, translated as Mountains and Water).

Size: 15×15 mm (~⅔ × ⅔ inches), the stone height is ca. ~1½ inch.

Shan Shui (Mountains and Water) is a genre of Chinese and Japanese painting, generally corresponding to landscape. On this seal I used Old Style characters visually resembling mountain and river.

A seal is an Oriental printing stamps used as signatures in personal documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgement or authorship. In the western world they were traditionally known by traders as chop marks or simply chops. Seals are still widely used in Japan, Korea, and China.

This particular stamp can be a curious gift for a calligrapher, an artist or any person interested in Chinese or Japanese culture.

I enjoy carving seals and consider it a part of my artistic practice. I always carve my seals by hand, like it used to be for centuries, never use any machines or ready-made designs. Every seal has its own character that will never be reproduced. I am also taking orders for CUSTOM SEALS, feel free to contact me for details.

YOU WILL GET: the seal itself, a certificate of authenticity, a free red stamping mat for making imprints and a special bag for storing the seal. I will include a short instruction of how to use your seal and how to care for it to maintain its quality for the lifetime.