Seals and the 36th Chamber

Across many cultures in the world, government officials, important houses in royalty, and even humble merchants have an insignia or seal. Inspired by the seals belonging to the dynasties seen throughout China’s history, we created our own seal and placed it on our new line of accessories 36 Seal. Let’s jump into the history books to explain why we felt it was high time we had our own seal.

The first recorded seal was in 221 BC after China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang defeated the six Warring States and united China. This seal was carved out of white jade, a very expensive stone, and became the first imperial seal called Xi. This seal became known as the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, and could only be used by those who were in power. 

Over time individuals and families started having private seals. They’d use it to sign letters, or for those who collected art, they would have their own seal placed on the artwork to signify it was part of their collection. Seals are also a big part of Chinese calligraphy used by emperors and citizens alike. 

We decided to pay homage to this Chinese tradition in our latest release. The seal was created by our in house designer, Willie Hoag, and either debossed or printed onto our vegan wallets, cardholder and money clip (which, we might add, are still on a pre-sale discount). 

If you’re interested in creating your own Chinese seal, we found a website that will generate one for you in a matter of moments!