Seal Paste Jar, 1736-1795, 1 3/8 x 3 x 3 in. (3.49 x 7.62 x 7.62 cm), Porcelain with underglaze blue decor, China, 18th century, Small covered boxes have been used in China to keep seal paste since the tenth century. The paste, made of red pigments and oils, was used to stamp paintings, calligraphy, rubbings, and books with collectors' names and seals. The bottom of this fine container bears an imperial Ch'ien-lung (1736-95) mark, whereas the lid has a sixteen-character poem written in clerical script. The poem reads