Authentic Chinese soapstone chop seal. Chop seals were used to stamp letters and official documents in lieu of handwritten signatures by government officials, nobles and well-to-do families for decades in imperial China. While the practice originated in China, other easter Asian countries grew to adopt seal chops as well over time. They were often carved in the shape of a mythological creature. This particular chop seems to depict a luan, a bird in Chinese mythology that indicates times of peace. It is made of soapstone, but other chop seals were commonly made from bamboo, bone, woods, metals, and granite.
