An anonymous commenter asked what a chop is. A chop is a Chinese stamp that is used as a personalized seal. Chops can be made inexpensively from wood, and more elaborate chops can be made from jade, stone, or metals. Chops have been used in China for centuries as a means of identification in place of a signature. Chop stamps in red ink are still used in Taiwan to authorize legal documents.
Until I posted about red chop stamps on our adoption documents, I had no idea that families adopting from Taiwan were given chops at St. Lucy's to sign their adoption documents.
For you digital scrapbookers, I found kits online where you can purchase digital scrapbook images of chop stamps. How cool is that? I'll be making my purchase shortly after this post is finished.
If you want read more about chop stamps, here's a link to an online article in the Taiwan Journal.
And if you just have to have a chop for yourself after reading this post, here's a link where you can design and purchase your very own chop.
I can't resist. "Chop, chop! Let's get these documents back to Taiwan and logged into court!"
Thanks for answering my question about chops!!
ReplyDeleteThe new look is great, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteChop! Chop! :-)
The blogover is beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteHow fun to see your beautiful new header!
ReplyDeleteThat's cool that you'll get your own chops in Taiwan to sign your documents. When we were in China, we just signed our own names and then put a red thumbprint stamp over the top of the signature. After all those docs to sign, we were sure we'd have red thumbs forever....not that we'd mind. ;-)
And this goes w/o saying, but you are quite the resourceful blogger/scrapbooker! You keep coming up with more cool stuff.
Have a good week!
When we were in China we asked our guide to get us a personalized chop with Jia's Chinese name on it. It took a little turnaround time and I didn't even think about doing it for Willa because our time in Taiwan was such a whirlwind, but your guide might be able to make Ching-Ling one for you if you prepare for it. Just a thought...
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteGreat news for chop lovers, you will get one from Taiwan. They have to make one of your name for papers. It is really cool! And Chom Chop with HC already!
Megan