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Subject:Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: George louis Ingraham Sat, Dec 28, 2019 IP: 2601:602:cc00:ea50:9

These look like archaic characters to me, but not sure.

A couple of online Chinese friends have given a couple of different PinYin translations so far.

Ying英 Kui魁 Bai白 Yin印
Rong荣 Wei隗 Bai白 Yin印

If these are archaic symbols on the seal, I am hoping to learn the actual pictograph meaning to each image.

Any help greatly appreciated !









Subject:Re: Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: Mikeoz Sun, Dec 29, 2019

Greetings to I Nagy, should you look in here,

Have you any suggestions why these characters have been carved so that they read back-to-front when printed.?

Regards

Mikeoz

Subject:Re: Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: I.Nagy Sun, Dec 29, 2019

Dear George,

The engraved characters on the seal are special seal script characters used for making seal inscriptions.

The first traditional reading (from top to bottom,
from right to left) is correct,
  英魁白印 - Ying Kui Bai Yin - The seal of Ying Kuibai

Meaning of individual characters,
英; Brave, heroic, eminent etc.
In transliteration used for England, English,
Britain or British
魁; The head, the chief, best, monstrous,
eminent, great etc.
白; White, clear, easy etc.
印; Seal

The problem is with this is that the "Ying" as surname does not exist among the Han (Chinese) race, except names transliterated from Manchu during the Qing Dynasty. The "Kuibai" given name is also conceivable as transliteration from Manchu.
However, if we read the first the upper characters from right to left, then
the lower ones on the same way;
英白魁印 - Seal of the English white (headed) chief.
It is conceivable that an English man might have gotten it made for his own leisure.
Sorry, but I can't give you more clear answer.

With regards,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: George louis Ingraham Sun, Dec 29, 2019

Big thank you I.Nagy

All very interesting and valuable information.

Thank you for taking the time. Greatly appreciated !

Subject:Re: Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: George louis Ingraham Sun, Dec 29, 2019

I just found this about Ying surname, but the character in Wikipedia is different, 嬴 .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yíng


Subject:Re: Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: I.Nagy Thu, Jan 02, 2020

Dear George,
I meant this 英  "Ying" is not existing as Han surname.
The other three possibilities are;
應  蠃  瀛
Cheers,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: George louis Ingraham Sun, Dec 29, 2019

Turns out that it can be read, ying kui bai yin 英魁白印

But I can not make sense of it in English as there seem to be many meanings for each character.

英 pronounced in PinYin: "ying". Meanings: 1. a flower; 2. outstanding: 3. Britain

魁 pronounced "kui". Meanings: 1. chief, head; 2. big and tall; 3. the name of one of the stars in the Big Dipper constellation.

白 pronounced "bai". Meanings: 1. white; 2. understand clearly; 3. bright; 4. blank, pure; 5. state or explain; 6. incorrectly written or spoken.

印 pronounced "yin". Meanings: 1. seal, stamp; 2. a trace or a mark; 3. to stamp or to print; 4. to conform.

Subject:Re: Help With Translating Script On Rhinoceros Horn Seal
Posted By: I.Nagy Sun, Dec 29, 2019

A short addition to the above,
What we see on the picture are the front images of the seal characters In case of these characters the front(face) and mirror(imprint) images are the same except of 魁。 印 originally has both forms.

With regards,
I.Nagy


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