Chinese seals are a thing of beauty. For centuries, the blood red, usually square-shaped imprints have been used to sign off letters, documents and art, leaving to our modern eyes an elegant and indelible symbol of culture. They raise the status of one’s name to a singular identity. The variety of wording styles is inexhaustible, ranging from the archaic and barely decipherable to the straightforward and artistic. Traditionally, seals are made of stone, wood or some other sturdy material, and the handle may feature ornate designs and carvings. One typical decorative design is a carved animal from the Chinese zodiac that corresponds to the user’s birth year. These design elements make Chinese seals a form of art – sometimes very expensive art.

A case in point is the jade seal that belonged to the Qianlong Emperor who lived and ruled in 18th century China. The large seal, which is carved with a dragon handle, was sold by Sotheby’s in 2008 for a record-breaking US$8 million. It bears a relief of the emperor’s name in appropriately chunky, imposing characters. But even a traditional seal's insignia follows few rules, sometimes using just a surname, a moniker, a person’s motto, images… anything goes. Today, a signature via ballpoint pen is much more in vogue, but modern day nostalgics can still have their blogging identity carved into stone. A row of seal makers whose simple stalls line the narrow Man Wa Lane in Sheung Wan can get the job done. Show them a design and you’ll have a sophisticated piece of Chinese tradition in an hour.