In addition to name chops, people engrave famous poems, popular slogans and sometimes words of noted persons. This ancient art form is as popular as ever in China now. The new generation of carvers will do even better work. Seal carving has long been regarded by many Chinese artists as the best incarnation of the spirit of the Chinese culture. They believe that such a rich culture can be embodied in the space of less than a square inch.
Seal carving is an integration of limitation and infinity.
Its physical space and spiritual content are totally unproportional. Its artistic language and means are very simple, but the meaning it intends to express is often extremely delicate and abstruse. Under the carving knives of outstanding seal cutters, points, lines, raises, concaves, sparsity, density, punching and cutting have all become demonstrative elements in highly abstract terms. Originally, a seal was the symbol of power, status and order of feudal societies in China. This was deemed by historians as the highest achievement of the stateman in his political career.