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Gold Seal from 18th century in box

Posted By: mikeoz
Posted Date: Oct 02, 2007 (02:10 AM)

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The red material is not wax but seal ink (in Chinese 'yin ni' or seal mud; in Japanese "chuniku' or red flesh).

It is most likely to be a mixture of boiled vegetable oil, a fibre (usually artemesia) and mercuric sulphide - cinnebar, which gives it its red colour) If you add no more than one tiny drop of a fine vegetable oil (mustard seed oil is good) and gently stir it, working it back into a maleable paste, you will be able to use it to print with your seal.

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Re: Gold Seal from 18th century in box - Alan - Apr 26, 2014 (08:20 AM)