<p>The seal says「萅」, which is one of the earlier forms of「春」(<em>spring</em>).</p>

<hr>

<p>「春」(Mandarin Pinyin: <strong>chūn</strong>, <em>spring</em>) was originally constructed from simultaneously semantic and phonetic「屯」(<strong>tún</strong>, <em>picture of a sprouting plant</em>), and various other optionally present semantic components including「木」(<em>picture of a tree</em>),「屮・艸」(<em>grass, plants, vegetation</em>), and「日」(<em>sun</em>), inferring <em>sun shining on newly sprouting vegetation > spring</em>. The surviving glyph「春」is from an original combination of「艸・艹」,「日」, and「屯」.</p>

<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dFarh.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dFarh.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">粹</a>1151<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=29715&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集29715</a></kbd></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In the above character,「艸」is split into two「屮」, which surround「日」, all on the left hand side.「屯」is the portion found on the right.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>The combination of「艸」and「日」here survives as a component in a few characters, e.g. the left hand side of「朝」.</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>Later on, the components were subject to various changes:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Both parts of「艸」migrated to the top,「屯」moved to the middle, and「日」moved to the bottom:</p>

<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">春秋</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">金</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3UtvA.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3UtvA.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>蔡侯墓殘鐘<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=224&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成224</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楚</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_Silk_Manuscript" rel="nofollow noreferrer">帛</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/iOu7b.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/iOu7b.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>甲1.2<br>新蔡葛陵</kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">篆</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ybABG.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ybABG.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77389&amp;page=46" rel="nofollow noreferrer">艸部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">說文解字</a></kbd></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The last form above is the same as the image in the question.</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><p>「屯」and「艸」switched places:</p>

<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">秦</a><br>簡<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/z6FYL.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/z6FYL.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>日乙252<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">睡虎地秦簡</a></kbd></p></li>
<li><p>Everything apart from「日」was graphically corrupted, leading on to the modern form:</p>

<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">西漢</a><br>篆～<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Tgxts.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Tgxts.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>乙前85下<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawangdui_Silk_Texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">馬王堆</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching" rel="nofollow noreferrer">老子</a></kbd><kbd>今<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/m6zuO.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/m6zuO.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br><br>　</kbd></p></li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p><strong>References:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>季旭昇《說文新證》</li>
<li><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">國學大師</a>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">郭沫若《甲骨文合集》</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-01T10:52:34.383Z
incredible. recognise the character from such low resolution picture :)
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-01T11:52:13.857Z
@水巷孑蠻 do you have any other ideas? the character in the photo seems to be missing a stroke for it to be 萅.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-01T12:06:48.067Z
well, with a structure ⿳; 艸 as the top, 日 as the bottom, not many choices: 著, 萫, 萶, 萻 & 蓍. as usual, without any further evidences, clearer pictures; i support your finding :)
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-01T10:30:11.010Z
2019-07-01T10:30:11.010Z
dROOOze
<p>I am trying to identify these artist seal meaning, if anyone can help it would be much appreciated.I have tried researching this myself but to no avail</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/XnuIu.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XnuIu.jpg" alt="https://i.sstatic.net/XnuIu.jpg"></a></p>

<meaning><seal>
Artist Seal Meaning
# Artist Seal Meaning

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-07-01)

I am trying to identify these artist seal meaning, if anyone can help it would be much appreciated.I have tried researching this myself but to no avail

[![https://i.sstatic.net/XnuIu.jpg](https://i.sstatic.net/XnuIu.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/XnuIu.jpg)

**Tags:** meaning, seal


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-07-01. Score: 2

The seal says「萅」, which is one of the earlier forms of「春」(*spring*).

---

「春」(Mandarin Pinyin: **chūn**, *spring*) was originally constructed from simultaneously semantic and phonetic「屯」(**tún**, *picture of a sprouting plant*), and various other optionally present semantic components including「木」(*picture of a tree*),「屮・艸」(*grass, plants, vegetation*), and「日」(*sun*), inferring *sun shining on newly sprouting vegetation > spring*. The surviving glyph「春」is from an original combination of「艸・艹」,「日」, and「屯」.

`商  
甲  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/dFarh.png)  
粹1151  
合集29715`

> In the above character,「艸」is split into two「屮」, which surround「日」, all on the left hand side.「屯」is the portion found on the right.
>
> * The combination of「艸」and「日」here survives as a component in a few characters, e.g. the left hand side of「朝」.

Later on, the components were subject to various changes:

* Both parts of「艸」migrated to the top,「屯」moved to the middle, and「日」moved to the bottom:

  `春秋  
  金  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/3UtvA.png)  
  蔡侯墓殘鐘  
  集成224``戰國・楚  
  簡・帛  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/iOu7b.png)  
  甲1.2  
  新蔡葛陵` `篆  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ybABG.png)  
  艸部  
  說文解字`

  > The last form above is the same as the image in the question.
* 「屯」and「艸」switched places:

  `秦  
  簡  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/z6FYL.png)  
  日乙252  
  睡虎地秦簡`
* Everything apart from「日」was graphically corrupted, leading on to the modern form:

  `西漢  
  篆～隸  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Tgxts.png)  
  乙前85下  
  馬王堆老子``今  
  楷  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/m6zuO.png)`

---

**References:**

* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* [小學堂](http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
* [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
  + [郭沫若《甲骨文合集》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/)
  + [中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: incredible. recognise the character from such low resolution picture :)  
> **username_1**: @username_2 do you have any other ideas? the character in the photo seems to be missing a stroke for it to be 萅.  
> **username_2**: well, with a structure ⿳; 艸 as the top, 日 as the bottom, not many choices: 著, 萫, 萶, 萻 & 蓍. as usual, without any further evidences, clearer pictures; i support your finding :)  

---

