Question 1

What is Fengni?

Accepted Answer

Fengni (封泥) is clay placed on a closure and stamped with a seal while soft. The term also commonly names a surviving clay sealing bearing that impression.

Question 2

Is Fengni an ancient seal?

Accepted Answer

No. The seal is the carved tool; Fengni is the clay closure and the impression that the tool left in it.

Question 3

Why are the characters often raised?

Accepted Answer

Recessed strokes on a seal face receive soft clay and produce raised strokes in the clay impression. Raised strokes on the face produce recessed lines.

Question 4

Is Fengni the same as Yintuo?

Accepted Answer

No. Fengni is a three-dimensional clay sealing. Yintuo (印蜕) usually means a flat inked paper impression that records a seal design.

Question 5

What can the back of a clay sealing show?

Accepted Answer

It may preserve cord grooves or impressions of wood, bamboo, textile, or a fitting. These traces help reconstruct the closure when studied with archaeological context.

Question 6

Can appearance alone prove a Fengni is ancient?

Accepted Answer

No single visual feature proves age or authenticity. Provenance, excavation context, material study, inscription, comparison, and qualified expert review must be considered together.

Ancient Seals

Chinese Clay Seal Impression Meaning: What Fengni Reveals

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