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Tokyo Hand-carved Seals Tokyo Tebori Insho

Exquisite techniques passed down since the Edo period
A one and only seal where the beauty of hand-carving stands out

Description

What is Tokyo Hand-carved Seals ?

The whole process of manufacturing Tokyo Hand-carved Seals, from the letter design, adjusting the stamp face, lettering, rough carving, to the finishing touches, are done by hand. Although different techniques are required for each process, one artisan works on the seal from the beginning to the end.
The high-level manufacturing technology and techniques have been passed down for more than 100 years since the Edo period. Those who carve the seals are master craftsmen designated by the Tokyo Seal Engravers Co-operative Association among the artisans who hold a national qualification as a First Grade Certified Seal Engraving Specialist. While many seals are made by machine these days, Tokyo Hand-carved Seals are unique and highly regarded. They are works of art that cannot be made by a machine, and the beautiful hand carvings are their distinctive feature.
They are currently produced in Chiyoda Ward, Minato Ward, Musashino City etc. in Tokyo, and the traditional techniques are being carried on. Boxwood and water buffalo horns are traditionally used as raw materials.

History

The seal system is said to have originated in China, and in Japan, various seals have been used since the Nara period. In the beginning of the Edo period, official seal engravers for the shogunate who moved to Edo (current Tokyo) from Kyoto, made seals for the shogun, shogunate, and feudal lords. The seals were used for official documents of the feudal domains and account books of the villages and merchants. The village headmen registered the seals of the farmers in a seal registration book and made it possible to verify the seals when necessary. Eventually, as seals became widespread to common people, seal engravers that made their living carving seals other than the official seal engravers increased throughout Edo.
In the early Meiji period, the highest government office, the Grand Council of State, issued a proclamation, and all Japanese citizens were permitted to use registered seals. In this way, seals became part of the social life of the Japanese.
Registered seals and bank seals etc. are essential items in Japanese people's daily lives and turning points in life to prove rights, duties and ownership. Seals are inseparably connected to the social lives of Japanese people.

Production Process

  1. 1. Preparing the Draft A draft is prepared before carving the seal. It is designed to arrange all the characters in a balanced manner, taking into consideration the number of strokes etc.
  2. 2. Lettering Based on the draft, the characters are written on the seal material with a brush. The characters are written in mirror writing while checking with a mirror, so that the characters will be shown correctly when the seal is affixed on paper.
  3. 3. Rough Carving The outlines of the characters are carved. The parts other than the characters are carved so that the depth is uniform.
  4. 4. Polishing After carving, the face of the seal is polished with a plant called horsetail to clean the extra black and vermilion ink on the characters. The splits made from the rough carving are removed and ink is applied.
  5. 5. Finishing Using a special carving knife, the thickness of the frame, lines, and crossing parts are adjusted.

Facility Information

Tokyo Seal Engravers Co-operative Association

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