----From seals engraved by Haibin

The History of the art of seal-engraving can be traced back about 3,700 years ago to the Yin Dynasty in ancient China, it was the engraving of inscriptions on tortoise shells. Seal-engraving flourished in the Qin Dynasty(221-207 BC), about 22 centuries ago, when people engraved their names on utensils, bamboo and wood to show ownership. From then, people began to engrave personal names on small blocks of horn, jade, stone or wood, name the "seals" as known of today.

Seal-engraving can be done in relief or intaglio on seals, as works of art should be evaluated from three aspects-- calligraphy, composition and the graver's handwork. The artist/graver must be good at writing various styles of the Chinese scripts. He/she also should know how to arrange a number of characters within a limited space; use variety of speed and strength of his/her wrist and finger movements to achieve a graceful effect. He/she should also be familiar with the various materials such as stone, brass or ivory etc., so that he/she may apply the cutting knife with the right exertion, technique and even rhythm.