China's ancient tradition of using seals to finalize documented business has attracted a lot of attention over the past year.

China's ancient tradition of using seals to finalize documented business has attracted a lot of attention over the past year.

At the 2008 China Guardian last fall, an official Han Dynasty (206BC–220 AD) seal of Duke Han Zehou was auctioned off, the highest-ranking official seal ever put up for auction. In June 2008, a jade imperial seal of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was sold for 53.50 million yuan ($7.83 million)in Toulouse, France, the highest price ever paid for a Chinese seal at auction.

The main factor that has brought Chinese seals back into the international spotlight was last year's Beijing Olympics, where the seal-style emblem of the Beijing Olympic Games and the seal of the President of the IOC, Dr Jacques Rogge, received widespread publicity.

China's acclaimed seal carver Zhang Guowei, designed a special seal engraved with four characters meaning "The Seal of Rogge" for the IOC President, after learning that Rogge was an enthusiast of Chinese characters. Rogge was so pleased with the gift that he declared that all official Olympic documents sent from China would only be valid with his affixed seal.

China's tradition of using seals for official business can be traced back two thousand years to the Warring States period (475-221 BC). With the shift of power to the emerging nobility, seals were popularized as a means for nobles to document the legality and legitimacy of their claim to power.

Chinese seals are classified into three types; imperial Xi seals, official seals and personal seals. Only those belonging to the emperor or empress could be referred to as Xi seals.

Historically, each dynasty set in place official seal protocol that included a strict hierarchical regulation on the seal system; making official seals the highest symbol of administrative power.

Chinese seals gradually developed into an independent art form, ranking as one of the four Chinese traditional arts, which also includes painting, poetry and calligraphy. According to tradition, ancient Chinese artwork is required to contain each of these four disciplines, all of which demand different skills.

Seals were traditionally, and still are today, made primarily from jade, ivory, and soft precious stones. The body of the seal can be ornamented or carved into different shapes, such as animals, landscapes and other personalized images.

The most skillful part of any seal is the characters on the bottom, as they combine both calligraphy and carving. Traditionally, Li script, an ancient style of calligraphy from the Han Dynasty, is used in seal carving, though seal carvers have always tried to create new ways of arranging and carving characters.

The most fascinating thing about seals is the wealth of meaning and significance a single seal or character can contain. When the official seal for the 2008 Beijing Olympics was revealed, many were amazed that the Chinese character 京 (jing) could simultaneously convey an abbreviation for China's capital Beijing, as well as a graphic representation of an athlete sprinting in the final dash and an open-armed man greeting Olympic visitors.

In presenting the seal, chief designer Zhang Wu said "This is the greatest gift from China to the Games. Chinese seal culture is a precious treasure to the world."

Today, engraved seals are often used as identification in financial or other business transactions. Seals also remain an integral part of Chinese art, as most artists affix their seal to their works. Without the artists seal, the authenticity of the piece is immediately suspect.

Seals are also a favorite for both collectors and artists, as their carving requires a high level of skill, detail and artistic creativity.