19TH CENTURY

Zhao Zhiqian (1829-1884) was trained in poetry, calligraphy, painting as well as seal carving since his teenage years. It was because of his holistic studies in art that Zhao was able to achieve innovative skills in carving naturalistic details on his seals. Zhao carved less than 400 seals in his entire career, but his masterly-rendered works made a significant impact on an entire generation of seal carvers in the Late Qing dynasty.

Besides a career in art, Zhao passed the imperial examination at the age of 31. Later in 1872, he was sent to Jiangxi province to become the editor of Jiangxi tong zhi (General Encyclopedia of Jiangxi), and held the title of Zhixian (County magistrate), a seventh rank civil official, in the counties of Fanyang, Fengxin, and Nancheng among others.