On our Kokin Denju seals

The red seals (or inkan) are a fascinating feature of Zen art. Not only do they identify the artist – their prominent red color creates a visual tension with the black ink strokes, making them an essential part of the actual calligraphy.

Transferring those intricate, centuries-old stamps onto modern apparel is a bit of a challenge: Original historical seals are often faded, bleeding, or impossibly detailed. To preserve the original balance of the calligraphy, we often use our Kokin Denju seal as a substitute, doing our best to mimic the size and placement of at least one of the original inkan.

In 2026 we have commissioned a Japanese seal-maker with carving two physical stamps for us, which are made out of stone. These will over time replace the digitally-created seals we had used in the past.

This picture shows the two stone seals as blanks, prior to being carved:

And here are the completed seals:

Note: Our using the Kokin Denju seals aims to reproduce the original work's balance and composition. We only use them where we cannot reproduce the original artist's seals in sufficient detail. We do not aim to assert ourselves as the artist of the respective works.