Hanko Stamps

Every Japanese invariably owns some kind of personal seal. The finely crafted items embody generations of skill. Seals are practical, but they can also be stunningly beautiful. The musician Shishido Kavka is captivated by the genre of stamps known busho-in, which features the name of a famous warrior, a design of some kind, e.g. a tiger or dragon, and a personalized message. The episode also looks at the tools and craftsmanship of a seal maker, which has been in business for more than four hundred years, and the painstakingly detailed craftsmanship that goes into craving Chinese-style seal stones. A range of important seals from different parts of the globe are featured, and we focus on the meaning in the lettering and designs in some examples predating the Christian era.