Bring Edo-period artistry into your collection with this rare and beautifully preserved seal-design manual:
合類印譜 (Gorui Inpu)
An illustrated 印譜 catalog showcasing the refined seal culture of Japan’s 18th–19th century.
During the Edo period, seals (印, inkan / hanko) played a vital role in daily life and artistic identity. They served as signatures for scholars, monks, merchants, samurai, and artists — and were also believed to hold symbolic, auspicious, or talismanic power.
This book is an authentic woodblock-printed reference, created for calligraphers and seal carvers, containing:
Contents of This Volume
✔ Dozens of seal designs — square, round, oval, and decorative
✔ Name seals (姓印)
✔ Auspicious seals (吉祥印)
✔ Talismanic seals (符印)
✔ Seal characters in clerical, seal, and stylized scripts
✔ Large circular dragon motif
✔ Illustrated scenes of monks, scholars & travelers
✔ Explanatory text in classical Japanese
✔ Traditional Edo blue cover & original binding
The level of detail reveals the sophistication of seal aesthetics during late Edo Japan. Many designs resemble those used in temples, merchant houses, artistic ateliers, and literary circles.
Historical Importance
Inpu manuals were essential professional tools used by:
- Seal carvers
- Calligraphers
- Artists
- Shrine/temple officials
- Literati & scholars
Because they were working tools, most were heavily used and eventually lost. Complete surviving examples — especially richly illustrated ones like this — are highly collectible and sought after by museums and private collectors.
A Perfect Piece For
- Collectors of Japanese antique books
- Museums & research institutions
- Calligraphy and seal-carving artists
- Scholars of Edo cultural history
- Enthusiasts of East Asian art and symbolism
A rare and exceptional survival from the world of traditional Japanese seal art.
