A Chinese seal is a seal or stamp containing Chinese characters used to prove identity on documents, contracts, art, or similar items where authorship is considered important.

Chinese seals are typically made of stone, sometimes of wood, and are typically used with red ink or cinnabar paste, or zhusha. The word 印 ("yìn") specifically refers to the imprint created by the seal.

The role of seals in the Chinese culture can hardly be overestimated. For the last 3,000 years they have been used in official, private, even magic spheres. The earliest examples of seals come from the Shang Dynasty (About 1600-1100 BC) from the archeological sites at Anyang. However very little is known about their usage at this early stage, it is only starting from the Spring and Autumn period (BCE 722-481) that we begin to see an increased quantity of seals paired with textual references to them.

In 221 BC, the Seal was created when Qin Shihuang destroyed the remaining Warring States and united China under the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC). The He Shi Bi was a famous piece of jade stone which previously belonged to the Zhao state. Passing into the hands of the new Emperor of China, he ordered it made into his Imperial seal. The words “受命于天，既寿永昌” (roughly translated as "The Mandate is received from Heaven, May He have Longevity and Prosperity") were written by Prime Minister Li Si, and carved onto the seal by Sun Shou.

Chinese seal carvings are an ancient art that combines calligraphy and engraving. It was originally used as an imperial seal – a seal used by the emperor to, in effect, put his stamp of approval on documents. The royal seal was called the Xi (which can literally be translated into “the imperial seal”). Later, non-official seals used by private individuals emerged as a personalized stamp.