What was the seal originally used for?

China pottery was produced in the early Neolithic period, with a history of more than 8,000 years. The most primitive method of making pottery is molding, that is, putting a bamboo basket or rope in the mold, then coating it with mud, and taking it out after half-drying, leaving clear marks on the surface of the pottery blank. Inspired by these prints, ancestors later carved decorative patterns directly on the Tao Pai. Tao Pai was originally a simple tool, which smashed clay billets by knocking. After carving decorative patterns on it, it became the origin of decorative patterns and seal art in China, and Tao Jing was born.

Tao should have two meanings. One means that the texture of the seal is pottery, which is formed by molding, drying and sintering a mixture of clay; The second kind refers to the seal used to print characters or symbols on clay. These characters or signs are usually the names or marks of the owners or families of the articles.