An antique Chinese seal chop of soapstone with an image of Hotei. Chinese seals are used with red ink or cinnabar paste (zhusha). A seal in an East is a general name for printing stamps and impressions which are used in lieu of signatures in personal documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgement or authorship. The process started in China and soon spread across East Asia.

Date: Early 20th Century

Dimensions: 2" tall X 1" square