Cobra Chop

Chops have been used by Chinese merchants and emperors since 1000 BC. The ancient tradition of dripped-wax seal has given way to pre-inked stamps, but they still carry the same weight they have for millennia. This chop is unique as a thumbprint—150 years ago a businessman from China’s Shanxi Province used it to ratify important documents. The cobra decorating the chop’s handle probably had great personal significance.