<p>I've managed to find something based on Meruemu's answer:</p>

<pre><code>尸(刂/攵)  林
?          ?

製    印
</code></pre>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QSmbx.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QSmbx.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cB6u4.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cB6u4.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<hr>

<h2>Top-Left Discussion</h2>

<p>However, the top-left glyph has a similarity to this: <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/HvlQk.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/HvlQk.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a> (廠), mostly the bottom-left part and the right radical.</p>

<p>Also, the top-left glyph has a similarity to this: <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/paIMJ.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/paIMJ.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a> (居), the left part is mostly the same. I wonder, could the top left glyph be the Simplified Chinese character "剧"? The Traditional Chinese glyph is: <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/swLtH.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/swLtH.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>. Or in seal font: <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/w4eB7.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/w4eB7.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>. Isn't it an exceptional similarity?</p>

<h2>Top-Right Discussion</h2>

<p>The glyph looks like: <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LYuDr.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LYuDr.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a> (梵)<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KMEeo.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KMEeo.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a> (楚)</p>

<hr>

<h2>The Seal I've Drawn</h2>

<p>I thought the original drawn picture hasn't capture every detail of the seal so I've decided to draw one from the image given.</p>

<p><strong>The photo of the one I've drawn</strong></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ehb6u.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ehb6u.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p><strong>Digitally enhanced</strong></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7gg8y.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7gg8y.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-12T23:09:19.970Z
The characters 尸 (meaning "corpse") and 刂 (radical for "knife"). Thank you for your contribution. I am still searching for the character under 尸, and under 林… 

And yes, 製  印  confirms Meruemu's translation as: "Made the seal"… 

A question: Why do you have included 攵?  I don't find its meaning… 
Thanks.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-13T08:18:52.940Z
@ChristianTubau It is actually another form of this `攴`: http://www.zdic.net/z/1a/js/6534.htm
Daniel Cheung
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T19:41:41.123Z
your contribution to the question is very helpful. 
The character 居, as a place of residence, could be a possible part of the translation. Specially if the top right character were 梵, having to do with Buddhism… if we have in mind the figure of the sculpture.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T20:09:28.180Z
In my research I have found seals on pottery which clearly use the character "zhi". But then, on top of this character, there used to be the character "nian" 年 (year, period), to indicate the time when the piece was done. Surprisingly, the glyph for "nian" is also very similar to the one in my seal… and this would lead to another kind of translation: "year made"… (See new edit on your post if approved).
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T05:11:39.743Z
@ChristianTubau I've seen your edit, but I'm afraid I can't approve it, due to these are your own work and not mine. You should add your own answer. I don't mind if you copy my text. :)
Daniel Cheung
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T05:17:43.403Z
@ChristianTubau However I disagree that the top-left glyph is "年", because I don't think this particular sculpture was in royal places and is old enough that would make sense to have a year made seal. Also, the fact that the bottom-right glyph is clearly a "印" character, it only make sense for the seal to be read horizontally, either in a swirl direction or simply right to left.
Daniel Cheung
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T05:20:10.553Z
@ChristianTubau Also, I was only stating that the glyph "looks" like those in the images. They are clearly not the same one because it would not make sense 1. A Taoism sculpture to have a Buddhism symbol; 2. A simplified character to appear in the past because this particular one seemed to have been created by the PRC.
Daniel Cheung
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T16:31:12.550Z
I apologize for having written on the wrong place. I just thought that it would be good to continue your "characters discussion" on the same page. But I understand what you told me. I will write my findings in an answer. Thanks.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T16:34:01.347Z
I agree with all your comments. The character cannot be "nian", nor one related with Buddhism. Thank you very much for your useful contribution. I will keep looking for a possible translation of the upper glyphs.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-11T11:16:39.037Z
2015-08-20T05:22:39.730Z
2015-08-20T05:22:39.730Z
Daniel Cheung
<p>A Chinese seal usually follows the format of XX之印 “The Seal of XX” or XX制印 “The was made by XX” (where XX is a name). This seal follows the latter format. </p>

<p>The top part probably is the name of the seal maker and the upper part of the top-right character is 林. The bottom two characters are most likely to be "制印", meaning "made the seal". Will complete this answer after finding out/confirming all the characters on this seal.</p>

<p>Seal carving dictionary:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.internationalscientific.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx?characterInput=%E8%BB%8A&amp;submitButton1=Etymology" rel="nofollow">http://www.internationalscientific.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx?characterInput=%E8%BB%8A&amp;submitButton1=Etymology</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T22:28:46.727Z
Thank you very much. I will try to take a better photo of the seal.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T22:57:16.660Z
I have added a better image to my first post. I hope it is useful. Thanks for your help.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T20:10:27.903Z
2015-08-04T22:58:13.093Z
2015-08-04T22:58:13.093Z
Meruemu
<p>A collector maie just put me on the trail of your site and on this page.
It so happens that I too have a similar character bearing this seal in sigillary characters. In my opinion, the character is Lao Tzu or Confucius and he wears on his back a turtle shell with a text (the Yiking probably). A saber divides the book in two, it is fixed in a mat.
The material may be a carved steatite or a harder stone.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/OYs1O.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OYs1O.jpg" alt="Lao-tseu?[![la signature[![Vue de côté[![Yi King ?"></a>]<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DLsXT.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2</a>]<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Utf2P.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3</a>]<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/HkIj7.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">4</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-08T15:45:24.417Z
2018-05-08T15:45:24.417Z
Jean-Frédéric Baeta
<p>Ni idee que dice el sello, pero lo he cambiado por el negativo, de esa manera quizás más fácil leerlo, porque estos son los caracteres.</p>

<p>No idea what it says, but I changed the image for itś negative, this way it may be easier to read, because these are the characters.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/F3QBo.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/F3QBo.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T17:07:08.667Z
Indeed easier to read!
Meruemu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T17:22:07.817Z
I have been looking at the dictionary to decipher the characters under 林, and the most similar characters I have found are ji 己, and qiǎo 丂… but I am not sure if these can be the correct ones… 
I guess it is very difficult to "translate" a proper name…
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-08T04:11:59.220Z
This answer is contributing to the research effort, @Maroon. I think it's helpful.
Don Kirkby
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T05:53:39.017Z
2015-08-05T05:53:39.017Z
Pedroski
<p>I bought a figure of a taoist wise some years ago, and in all these years I have been unable to decipher the tiny seal (1cm x 1cm) under the figure.</p>
<p>It is an important figure in my life and I would be extremely thankful if somebody could help me to understand the meaning of the text. The figure is holding some kind of receptacle (a bowl) in his hand and has a cloud carved on his back.</p>
<p>I have been looking at the dictionary to decipher the characters under 林, and the most similar characters I have found are ji 己, and qiǎo 丂… but I am not sure if these can be the correct ones… I guess it is very difficult to &quot;translate&quot; a proper name…</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/WvBIJ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WvBIJ.jpg" alt="The seal" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xbi7m.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xbi7m.jpg" alt="seal" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/lLQGk.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/lLQGk.jpg" alt="The figure" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/uAKPl.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/uAKPl.jpg" alt="Enhanced drawing by @Daniel Cheung" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>Edit: found clearer picture of seal</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Q64FP.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Q64FP.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T16:46:31.257Z
A hand-drawn copy of a seal is definitely the most original form of "research effort" I've seen in a translation request. :)
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T20:15:04.973Z
Is this seal on some sort of wooden material? Can you show the full piece?
Meruemu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T22:18:40.147Z
Thank you very much for the promptness of your answer. I did a drawing because the seal's size is 1 cm x 1 cm and no photograph satisfied me. I don't think it is made of wood, because of its weight. It seems a "stony" material… I apologize for my ignorance regarding materials, history of these kind of seals… Although I began years ago the study of Chinese ideograms, I couldn't find the meaning of these characters… (the only one I thought I deciphered was "forest"…) I thought they were "old" characters… I attach one more photo of the figure, and I will try to take a better one of the seal. And
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T22:57:09.623Z
The photo and drawing of the seal are pretty good actually. No need for another photo of the seal. I just wanted to see if there are any other hints on the figure to understand the seal. And you are right, the characters are in an "old" font which used especially for the seals which called 篆zuan, so the seal carving are also called 篆刻. It's a pity that most of Chinese (including me) could not understand characters in 篆 font. But seal carving is an amazing art. See my original answer for a link to seal carving dictionary. link is too long... :)
Meruemu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T23:01:48.807Z
I was stupid thinking it would be a wooden material...Though it's not entirely impossible, it's too soft for seal carving.
Meruemu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T23:17:01.683Z
Thanks again. Maybe the new photo gives you a better view of the fine carving… 
The only hints I see are the carvings of a cloud on both arms and on the back. 
Was I right, then, understanding the character 林 as forest? 
If I may ask you: Do you think the seal contains only the name of the artist, or there are more "words" in it? 
I don't really know the material. Maybe some kind of clay?
I really appreciate your comments about the "old" fonts and I will read with much interest at your answer about seal carving. 
As an Art lover, I agree with you that seal carving is a very fine art. Christian
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T23:45:23.650Z
yes林 is forest. But it's a part of the upper-right character which I can't tell. As it's a seal, just like a signature to a westerner, it is very unlikely to contain other words in it （despite "制印made by"). It should be stone.
Meruemu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T00:05:15.573Z
Thank you. 
I am looking the dictionary…
With "other words" I meant "words included in the name, as 五 柳先生 with the name of the poet Tao Yuanming (Tao Quian)… A longer epithet… 
Maybe I am expecting too much of this tiny seal! :)
Thanks again.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T00:13:41.250Z
And maybe the answer to the question about who the figure could represent (which I also try to guess), is not to be found in the seal… but in the features, the position, the objects, the carved clouds…
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T00:28:06.187Z
I cannot use the chat yet, so I will not continue the discussion here. I will just wait for comments to my post. Thanks.
Christian Tubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T09:01:49.330Z
For some reason, I get requests to edit posts. Don't know why, from whom. Anyway, recipient is wrong, that should be receptacle.
Pedroski
<translation><seal>
The meaning of a Chinese inscription found under a little sculpture
# The meaning of a Chinese inscription found under a little sculpture

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-04)

I bought a figure of a taoist wise some years ago, and in all these years I have been unable to decipher the tiny seal (1cm x 1cm) under the figure.

It is an important figure in my life and I would be extremely thankful if somebody could help me to understand the meaning of the text. The figure is holding some kind of receptacle (a bowl) in his hand and has a cloud carved on his back.

I have been looking at the dictionary to decipher the characters under 林, and the most similar characters I have found are ji 己, and qiǎo 丂… but I am not sure if these can be the correct ones… I guess it is very difficult to "translate" a proper name…

[![The seal](https://i.sstatic.net/WvBIJ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/WvBIJ.jpg)

[![seal](https://i.sstatic.net/xbi7m.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/xbi7m.jpg)

[![The figure](https://i.sstatic.net/lLQGk.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/lLQGk.jpg)

[![Enhanced drawing by @Daniel Cheung](https://i.sstatic.net/uAKPl.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/uAKPl.jpg)

---

Edit: found clearer picture of seal

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Q64FP.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Q64FP.jpg)

**Tags:** translation, seal
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: A hand-drawn copy of a seal is definitely the most original form of "research effort" I've seen in a translation request. :)  
> **username_2**: Is this seal on some sort of wooden material? Can you show the full piece?  
> **username_0**: Thank you very much for the promptness of your answer. I did a drawing because the seal's size is 1 cm x 1 cm and no photograph satisfied me. I don't think it is made of wood, because of its weight. It seems a "stony" material… I apologize for my ignorance regarding materials, history of these kind of seals… Although I began years ago the study of Chinese ideograms, I couldn't find the meaning of these characters… (the only one I thought I deciphered was "forest"…) I thought they were "old" characters… I attach one more photo of the figure, and I will try to take a better one of the seal. And  
> **username_2**: The photo and drawing of the seal are pretty good actually. No need for another photo of the seal. I just wanted to see if there are any other hints on the figure to understand the seal. And you are right, the characters are in an "old" font which used especially for the seals which called 篆zuan, so the seal carving are also called 篆刻. It's a pity that most of Chinese (including me) could not understand characters in 篆 font. But seal carving is an amazing art. See my original answer for a link to seal carving dictionary. link is too long... :)  
> **username_2**: I was stupid thinking it would be a wooden material...Though it's not entirely impossible, it's too soft for seal carving.  
> **username_0**: Thanks again. Maybe the new photo gives you a better view of the fine carving…  The only hints I see are the carvings of a cloud on both arms and on the back.  Was I right, then, understanding the character 林 as forest?  If I may ask you: Do you think the seal contains only the name of the artist, or there are more "words" in it?  I don't really know the material. Maybe some kind of clay? I really appreciate your comments about the "old" fonts and I will read with much interest at your answer about seal carving.  As an Art lover, I agree with you that seal carving is a very fine art. Christian  
> **username_2**: yes林 is forest. But it's a part of the upper-right character which I can't tell. As it's a seal, just like a signature to a westerner, it is very unlikely to contain other words in it （despite "制印made by"). It should be stone.  
> **username_0**: Thank you.  I am looking the dictionary… With "other words" I meant "words included in the name, as 五 柳先生 with the name of the poet Tao Yuanming (Tao Quian)… A longer epithet…  Maybe I am expecting too much of this tiny seal! :) Thanks again.  
> **username_0**: And maybe the answer to the question about who the figure could represent (which I also try to guess), is not to be found in the seal… but in the features, the position, the objects, the carved clouds…  
> **username_0**: I cannot use the chat yet, so I will not continue the discussion here. I will just wait for comments to my post. Thanks.  
> **username_3**: For some reason, I get requests to edit posts. Don't know why, from whom. Anyway, recipient is wrong, that should be receptacle.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-08-11. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I've managed to find something based on Meruemu's answer:
尸(刂/攵)  林
?          ?

製    印



Top-Left Discussion
However, the top-left glyph has a similarity to this:  (廠), mostly the bottom-left part and the right radical.
Also, the top-left glyph has a similarity to this:  (居), the left part is mostly the same. I wonder, could the top left glyph be the Simplified Chinese character "剧"? The Traditional Chinese glyph is: . Or in seal font: . Isn't it an exceptional similarity?
Top-Right Discussion
The glyph looks like:  (梵) (楚)

The Seal I've Drawn
I thought the original drawn picture hasn't capture every detail of the seal so I've decided to draw one from the image given.
The photo of the one I've drawn

Digitally enhanced

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: The characters 尸 (meaning "corpse") and 刂 (radical for "knife"). Thank you for your contribution. I am still searching for the character under 尸, and under 林…   And yes, 製  印  confirms Meruemu's translation as: "Made the seal"…   A question: Why do you have included 攵?  I don't find its meaning…  Thanks.  
> **username_4**: @ChristianTubau It is actually another form of this `攴`: http://www.zdic.net/z/1a/js/6534.htm  
> **username_0**: your contribution to the question is very helpful.  The character 居, as a place of residence, could be a possible part of the translation. Specially if the top right character were 梵, having to do with Buddhism… if we have in mind the figure of the sculpture.  
> **username_0**: In my research I have found seals on pottery which clearly use the character "zhi". But then, on top of this character, there used to be the character "nian" 年 (year, period), to indicate the time when the piece was done. Surprisingly, the glyph for "nian" is also very similar to the one in my seal… and this would lead to another kind of translation: "year made"… (See new edit on your post if approved).  
> **username_4**: @ChristianTubau I've seen your edit, but I'm afraid I can't approve it, due to these are your own work and not mine. You should add your own answer. I don't mind if you copy my text. :)  
> **username_4**: @ChristianTubau However I disagree that the top-left glyph is "年", because I don't think this particular sculpture was in royal places and is old enough that would make sense to have a year made seal. Also, the fact that the bottom-right glyph is clearly a "印" character, it only make sense for the seal to be read horizontally, either in a swirl direction or simply right to left.  
> **username_4**: @ChristianTubau Also, I was only stating that the glyph "looks" like those in the images. They are clearly not the same one because it would not make sense 1. A Taoism sculpture to have a Buddhism symbol; 2. A simplified character to appear in the past because this particular one seemed to have been created by the PRC.  
> **username_0**: I apologize for having written on the wrong place. I just thought that it would be good to continue your "characters discussion" on the same page. But I understand what you told me. I will write my findings in an answer. Thanks.  
> **username_0**: I agree with all your comments. The character cannot be "nian", nor one related with Buddhism. Thank you very much for your useful contribution. I will keep looking for a possible translation of the upper glyphs.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-04. Score: 2

A Chinese seal usually follows the format of XX之印 “The Seal of XX” or XX制印 “The was made by XX” (where XX is a name). This seal follows the latter format.

The top part probably is the name of the seal maker and the upper part of the top-right character is 林. The bottom two characters are most likely to be "制印", meaning "made the seal". Will complete this answer after finding out/confirming all the characters on this seal.

Seal carving dictionary:

<http://www.internationalscientific.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx?characterInput=%E8%BB%8A&submitButton1=Etymology>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you very much. I will try to take a better photo of the seal.  
> **username_0**: I have added a better image to my first post. I hope it is useful. Thanks for your help.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-05-08. Score: 1

A collector maie just put me on the trail of your site and on this page.
It so happens that I too have a similar character bearing this seal in sigillary characters. In my opinion, the character is Lao Tzu or Confucius and he wears on his back a turtle shell with a text (the Yiking probably). A saber divides the book in two, it is fixed in a mat.
The material may be a carved steatite or a harder stone.
[![Lao-tseu?[![la signature[![Vue de côté[![Yi King ?](https://i.sstatic.net/OYs1O.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/OYs1O.jpg)][2](https://i.sstatic.net/DLsXT.jpg)][3](https://i.sstatic.net/Utf2P.jpg)][4](https://i.sstatic.net/HkIj7.jpg)


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-05. Score: 1

Ni idee que dice el sello, pero lo he cambiado por el negativo, de esa manera quizás más fácil leerlo, porque estos son los caracteres.

No idea what it says, but I changed the image for itś negative, this way it may be easier to read, because these are the characters.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/F3QBo.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/F3QBo.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Indeed easier to read!  
> **username_0**: I have been looking at the dictionary to decipher the characters under 林, and the most similar characters I have found are ji 己, and qiǎo 丂… but I am not sure if these can be the correct ones…  I guess it is very difficult to "translate" a proper name…  
> **username_6**: This answer is contributing to the research effort, @Maroon. I think it's helpful.  

---

