Heirloom Seal of the Realm

The Imperial Seal of the Qin Dynasty, or more commonly known as The Heirloom Seal of the Realm, reveals insight about the early Chinese emperors and monarchies. This stamp was made during the Qin dynasty when Shi Huangdi was ruling. Although the different purposes and significances of using seals have evolved over time, during the Qin Dynasty, it was said to have political and supernatural importance. The early Chinese government was strictly bureaucratic, consisting of an elite group of officials who served the First Emperor. Every measurable aspect of daily life, such as money, writing, and even axel lengths were standardized, so that the people of the Qin dynasty could be controlled more easily.1 The people of the Qin dynasty, peasants and emperors alike, all had an obsession with immortality. They were constantly putting money and time into finding a cure for death or a potion that could provide longevity. Some of the resources available at the time were jade, gold, mercury, silver, silk, and terracotta. The Imperial Seal of the Qin Dynasty was made out of Jade, gold and silk and was believed to be the most valuable of the Emperor’s possessions. Some of these materials like mercury and silver were often included in the mixtures that the more wealthy people would consume to try to achieve immortality. This may have been a contributing factor to why their beloved leader Shi Huangdi died at a young age. Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of the unified country of China. During his lifetime, he was in charge of major construction projects such as the Great Wall of China, a massive road system, and his personal mausoleum, which is guarded by the Terracotta Army. With the help of his fellow government official, Li Si, standardized all the Chinese units of measurement. Most importantly, he unified the script of the written Chinese language. The script seal was also changed in order to accommodate the new language reformations. Later in his life, Shi Huangdi