Shuangyuhuzhai yincun 雙虞壺齋印存

Shuangyuhuzhai yincun 雙虞壺齋印存 "Seals from the Studio of the Double Jars with the inscription Yu" is a catalogue of seal inscriptions from the collection of Wu Shifen 吳式芬 (1796-1856), courtesy name Zibi 子苾, style Songsun 誦孫 (also written 頌孫), from Haifeng 海豐, Shandong. He obtained his jinshi degree in 1835 and first worked as a junior compiler (bianxiu 編修) of the Hanlin Academy 翰林院, before he was entrusted with the prefecture of Nan'an 南安, and then of Jianchang 建昌. He rose the ladder to the function of surveillance commissioner (anchashi 按察使) and circuit intendant of Youjiang 右江, Guangxi, later of Henan and Shaanxi. He was administration commissioner (buzhengshi 布政使) of Henan, Zhili, Guizhou, and Shaanxi, and crowned his career with the posts of Academician of the Grand Secretariat (neige xueshi 內閣學士) and Vice Minister of Rites (libu shilang 禮部侍郎). He was a famous collector of an expert for antiques and wrote, among other books, the catalogue of ancient inscriptions Jungulu 攟古錄.

The seals of this catalogue date from between the Qin 秦 (221-206 BCE) and the Jin 晉 (265-420) periods, and were mainly made of jade (or similar stones) and bronze. The book was reproduced many times in versions of 4, 6, 7, 8 and 15 volumes, and had a considerable influence on collectors and aficionados of ancient seals.

The first, four-volume edition included reproductions of 1,067 seal inscriptions, with six imprints on each page. The six-volume version includes 1,015 seals imprinted in a grid of blue colour, with one to six imprints per page. The seven-volume version is arranged in grids of three lines, with one seal per row. The number of seals included was reduced to 893, while the eight-volume edition has a total number of 1,011 seals, with 2 per page. Of these, 92 species were imperial seals (xi 璽), 171 official seals (guanyin 官印), and the largest number, namely 748 pieces, private seals (siyin 私印). The catalogue also arranges the objects according to period of time, name seals (xingming yin 姓名印), script type (e.g. "war club" seal script, shuzhuan yin 殳篆印), intaglio or cameo (zhu-baiwen yin 朱白文印), multi-face seals (liangmian yin 兩面印, liumian yin 六面印), or talismanic seals (jiyu yin 吉語印). None of these versions includes a preface or an afterword. The eight-volume version was finished in 1840. The second version was reproduced in 1987 by the Shanghai Shudian 上海書店, but in a different page arrangement.

The first or draft version (gaoben 稿本) is of great interest for the history of seal collection and the mutual influence of seal catalogues. It has thus the same importance as the draft versions of the catalogues Shizhong Shanfang yinju 十鍾山房印舉 and Feihongtang yingao 飛鴻堂印稿 which together are called the "three great drafts seal catalogues" (san da yinpu gaoben 三大印譜稿本).