The Joseon Dynasty became a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty in 1637 and regularly sent envoys to the Qing Dynasty. Many of these envoys were knowledgeable individuals who actively studied Chinese culture, especially during the flourishing period of the Qianjia culture, which promoted the prosperity of Korean culture and art. The academic community has explored the exchanges between China and North Korea in the fields of literature, painting, calligraphy, music, etc., but there is relatively little attention paid to seal carving art. In contrast, the history of Chinese seal carving has studied the exchange of seal carving between China and Japan. This article attempts to explore the origin and development of seal carving in the Joseon Dynasty, the role of Chinese and Korean scholars in seal carving exchanges, and the characteristics of seal carving in the Joseon Dynasty after exchanges with the Qing Dynasty.

1、 The exchange process of seal carving between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty

The exchange of seal carving between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty began in the Han Dynasty, mainly through official seal exchange. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Joseon Dynasty began to understand Chinese seal carving art through the introduction of seal scores. At the beginning of the 17th century, Zhang Wei of the Joseon Dynasty first recorded the influx of Chinese Northern Song Dynasty official seals. Subsequently, Li Minamata, Xu Mu, Li Demao, Li Minghuan and others began collecting Chinese seals. Xu Mu developed "eyebrow seal script", and Li Demao used seal script as academic material. Hong Xigui and Li Linxiang were famous seal engravers of the Joseon Dynasty, and their skills may have originated from studying seal script. The Yan envoy played an important role in the exchange of seal carving. Jiang Shihuang first recognized the differences in seal carving between China and North Korea, criticized the misconceptions of Korean dynasty officials about seal carving, and demonstrated his understanding of Chinese seal carving techniques and history. Pu Qijia exchanged with Chinese scholars through Yanxing and obtained many seals and seal carving works. During his time in Beijing, Liu Degong had experience in seal carving and his works had an extraordinary momentum. Kim Jong hee was an important figure in the cultural history of the Joseon Dynasty. He had frequent exchanges with Chinese scholars in seal carving, not only studying Chinese seal carving, but also paying attention to Japanese seal carving. Jin Hantai, through Yan, conducted a search for seal engravers in China by Hong Xianzhou, demonstrating the complex process of Korean dynasty officials searching for seals in China at that time. Shen Wei was the first person in the Joseon Dynasty to possess the "three wonders" of poetry, calligraphy, and painting. He met Weng Fanggang and Weng Shucong, father and son, and obtained many seals. Xu Meichun befriended Weng Yinda, the grandson of Weng Fanggang, and returned to China with the Weng Fanggang seal. Li Shangdi and Wu Qingxi, disciples of Jin Zhengxi, also had in-depth exchanges with Chinese scholars in seal carving. In the late Qing Dynasty, the seal engravers of the Joseon Dynasty no longer relied on the Yan envoy, but directly communicated with Chinese seal engravers such as Wu Shichang and Jin Taixi, whose skills were recognized by the Chinese authorities.

2、 Characteristics of Seal Carving Exchange between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty

Explored the characteristics of seal carving exchange between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. The Yan envoy was the main force in the exchange of seal carving between China and North Korea, and his efforts promoted the exchange of seal carving art between the two countries. The attitude of the Joseon Dynasty towards the Qing Dynasty changed from contempt to admiration, especially after the mid-18th century when pioneers of the Northern School such as Hong Darong actively interacted with Qing Confucianism, promoting the dissemination of seal carving art. The loose foreign policy between China and North Korea after the Kangxi Dynasty, the compilation of the Siku Quanshu, and the support of the Korean government provided conditions for the dissemination of seal carving art. The exchange of gold and stone and seal carving mutually promoted each other. The envoy of Yan in Korea was deeply influenced by the academic spirit of China, and the seal gifts of Chinese scholars often appeared together with rubbings of stone inscriptions, promoting the development of seal carving art in Korea. The reputation mechanism in the Chinese art world has also influenced the exchange of seal carving between China and North Korea. Chinese scholars recommended seal carvers to the Korean envoy, which increased the international influence of these artists. The advantage of geographical location made cultural interaction between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty more convenient, promoting exchanges in remote fields such as seal carving. The seal carving art of the Joseon Dynasty developed and grew during the Qing Dynasty, becoming an important part of the East Asian Han cultural circle. Seal carving exchanges not only promoted literary and stone and stone exchanges between the two countries, but also spread excellent national culture to the outside world, enhanced the vitality of seal carving art, and promoted cross-cultural dialogue.

3、 Analysis of the use of seals by the Joseon Dynasty

An in-depth analysis was conducted on the seal usage of the Joseon Dynasty during the Qing Dynasty, revealing the extent to which the exchange of seal carving between China and North Korea had an impact on the seal carving of the Joseon Dynasty. Through the Korean imprints recorded in "Jinyu Yinbu", the characteristics of seals used by Yan envoys, Korean calligraphers, scholars, and literati were analyzed. The identification seals of the Joseon Dynasty reflect the academic activities of the practical school, while the irregular seals demonstrate a reverence for classicism. Although there have been attempts at innovative seals, a unified style has not yet been formed. The expression seal reflects the patriotism and literary spirit of the country. The development of epigraphy has promoted the exchange of seal carving, enriched the content and use of seal script, changed the seal carving practice of Korean scholars, and increased the artistic value of stone and stone works. However, the level of seal script in the Joseon Dynasty was not high, and the lack of knowledge in seal script became a major obstacle to the development of seal carving.

4、 Conclusion

Summarized the three periods of seal carving exchange between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty: the recognition period, the acceptance period, and the creation period. During the acquaintance period, scholars of the Joseon Dynasty began to understand Chinese seal carving art; During the acceptance period, scholars of the Joseon Dynasty studied and accepted Chinese seal carving through Yan Xing in China, and exchanged seal carving elements such as stone and script with Chinese scholars, giving birth to the pioneers of seal carving in the Joseon Dynasty; During the creative period, seal engravers of the Joseon Dynasty emerged in their own country, and seal carving became increasingly independent. The Yan envoy played a bridging role in the exchange of seal carving between the two countries, promoting diplomatic relations and academic and artistic exchanges. The seals of Korean dynasty seal engravers such as Kim Jong hee showed thoughtfulness, interest, and lyricism, but failed to further promote the level of seal script. The reputation mechanism of Chinese scholars reflects their seriousness in academia and warmth in daily life. Although small in size, seals can reflect the interaction and integration between seal engravers of the Joseon Dynasty, the Qing court, and Chinese culture, which is of great significance for studying the influence of traditional Chinese culture on foreign cultures.