Sealing Clay
In ancient China official and private documents were
inscribed on bamboo or wooden slips. Before these documents
were announced the slips were bound with a piece of thread and sealed
with clay. The sealing clay was imprinted with the impression of an
official or private seal to prevent illegal opening. The clay-sealing
method, which was also used for the shipping of goods, gradually fell
into oblivion with the invention of paper and silk fabrics. Since clay
sealing was first discovered by historians in the late Qing
Dynasty, it has commanded the attention of epigraphers and
collectors. For archaeologists it makes excellent material for the study
of history and ancient epigraphy and calligraphy.
The Beijing Museum of Ancient Ceramic Civilization's
collection of more than 1,000 pieces of sealing clay
of the Qin Dynasty has been regarded as an archive
for the study of the origin of the political system of ancient
China.
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