Seal of Shio-ji Temple

Both the quality of bronze and the technique of casting are excellent. The seal face is square and the stem is so-called 'cook head style' with a hole through it. The base is thick, and the lines of the intaglio are deep. The letters show the remarkable characteristics of old Yamato seals. The four letters are arranged neatly, and the first letter is incised in a deformed shape intentionally. This seal, made in the early Heian Period, is one of the most significant seals of old Yamato style. It had been kept in the Shiô-ji Temple in Akita until it was moved in Sekizen-in, which belonged to the Shôgo-in sect. Since then, the In'yaku-sai ceremony has been held to worship this seal.

— Museum description: Kyoto National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.