Hanko stamps are personal name seals that Japan uses for signatures. Japanese citizens register their name seals with the government and use it to sign official documents such as bank accounts, buying a car, or receiving a letter.
While name seals are part of everyday living in Japan, I’m going to discuss the use of name seals in the context of calligraphy from an artist point of view.
A hanko should be unique to you. No one but you should use it (in some cases family name seals, head of organizations, or other nonpersonal seals can be used by multiple people). Every calligraphy carrying your hanko can be considered official or finished. The hanko is part of the calligraphy; its placement is carefully chosen to make sure it balances and contrast the rest of the calligraphy.
Your hanko can change over time just like your signature. Yamaoka Tesshu(the famous Zen calligrapher and swordsman of the late 19th century) used over 79 seals throughout his life. Keep in mind though, the more seals you use, the harder it will be to keep track of your calligraphies as you start to give them away or sell them.
TYPES OF SEALS
There are many different types of seals made of different materials, sizes, and fonts. Like anything else, you can spend as little as a $25 on a hanko or as much as a few thousand dollars.
Round seals – Used mostly for last names. You can also have another one with your first name. However, it is custom to have one name per seal, and your last name will be the primary seal. My very first seal was a round hanko with Martinez. I don’t use it that much in my calligraphies these days, but I use it to sign letters and other things related to the Studio.
Square seals – square seals are generally reserved for organizations like schools. Organizations have their unique seals as well. Martial Arts schools, for example, may use a square seal to stamp rank certificates and other official documents. In calligraphy, an artist may use square seals for given names, pen names, Buddhist names, or particular phrases or words they want to use to personalize their calligraphy.
Oval or rectangle seals – these are known as mood seals or GAIN 雅印. A mood seal is meant to carry a message that the artist wants to send with the calligraphy. Mood seals are very interesting and can be incredibly creative. Mood seals don’t necessarily have to be in Kanji. They can contain images and even roman letters. Just like any of your seals, a mood seal is personal and should be unique to you. It should also reflect your personality and artistic vision.
Positive and negative – Also known as Yin and Yang. Seals are commonly carved as positive (Yang) meaning the letters are red with the white background. This style is reserved for official seals such as round seals with your name. Many painters and calligraphers have become fond of negative seals (Yin), meaning the letters are white and the background is red. These type of seal, used mostly in square or rectangle shapes, are viewed as artist’s seal. Many painters use negative seals for pen names, mood seals, or Buddhist names.
SEAL FONTS
There are many different fonts available for seals. I’m going to focus on the four main fonts commonly used in calligraphy.
KAISHO – Just like in calligraphy, Kaisho is a block style font used in stamps.
GYOSHO – Again, just like in calligraphy, Gyosho is semi-cursive font style.
The design and usage of your seal is a personal affair. However, I will give you my recommendations based on how I learned to use a hanko for calligraphy.
You should have at least one round hanko with your last name in Kanji carved in Koin font. This is your official seal. You can use it in calligraphies as well as for signing letters, greeting cards, etc.
If you run an organization, for example, a dojo, you can have a square hanko for it. Keep in mind though, that titles are not used in seals. For instance, I would not put Sensei Esteban on a Hanko. However, other titles such as president, and chief instructor are used in seals because this is not a personal seal but the seal of the organization.
A mood seal is always a good idea to have if you are a calligrapher. It adds to the visual appeal and compliments the other seals nicely. A mood seal can be either negative or positive. It can be square, oval or rectangle and is usually carved using the Tensho font.
WHERE TO PLACE YOUR SEALS
Consider the placement of your seals has as part of the composition of the calligraphy. The number of seals you have and the type of seal you use will determine its place in the calligraphy. Again, as artists, you have freedom as to how and where you place your seals, but the following are useful guidelines to follow.
If you have only one seal, place it under your signature. The space between the signature and the seal should be the same size as the seal. If you have two seals, you can place one on top of the other and both under your signature. Make sure to leave a space the same size of the seal between the signature and the first seal and again between both seals. Or you can place one under your signature and the other on the top right corner of the calligraphy. This position is to balance the composition and draw the eyes towards the middle.
If you have three seals, place two seals under your signature and one seal on the top right-hand corner. Always make sure the seals are aligned and with even space in between.
MY SEALS
I have several seals, however recently I’ve been using the following:
Just like calligraphy and penmanship in general, there are many formal ways to use a hanko. As westerners, we don’t really need to focus on the official usage of them unless, of course, you plan to live in Japan. Because they are unique to Japanese (and Chinese) calligraphy and are what gives the artwork the unique Japanese aesthetics look, for us using a name seal in our art is a way to maintain the integrity of the form, look and feel of Japanese calligraphy. In its pure form, calligraphy is incomplete without one of these unique little red stamps.