A seal, in an East and Southeast Asian context, is a general name for printing stamps and impressions thereof which are used in lieu of signatures in personal documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgement or authorship. On documents they were usually used to print an impression using a pigmented paste or ink, unlike the wax impression commonly used in Europe.
Personal seal and monogram (huaya) of the Chongzhen Emperor (1611-1644)
The seal works of Wu Qiuyan in Yuan dynasty
Chinese seal and red seal paste.
Yinnihe (seal paste box), Ming dynasty.
The Qianlong Emperor, also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He reigned officially from 1735 until his abdication in 1796, but retained ultimate power subsequently until his death in 1799, making him one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history as well as one of the longest-lived.
Portrait by Giuseppe Castiglione
Figurine of the three-year-old Qianlong Emperor having a bath. Artefact in Yonghe Temple, Beijing.
The young Qianlong Emperor as Prince Bao, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Inauguration Portraits of Emperor Qianlong and Empress, Cleveland Museum of Art.