I remember that in Japan, personal seals are incredibly important. To this day, they do not recognize handwritten signatures; instead, they use stamps called hanko, and every person in Japan owns at least one. There, stamps function as an official signature. The red seals on traditional Japanese prints replace the artist's handwritten signature on the project. These seals are always blood-red or vermilion. Traditional ink (shuniku) was produced using natural minerals, including cinnabar. Because of this, the color is exceptionally durable and does not fade over centuries. In Japanese culture, red symbolizes life, protection from evil, and authority.
I remember, while already living in Sweden, someone from Poland asked me for a certificate proving they had done research in my laboratory at the Karolinska Institutet. I signed it and mailed it immediately. I received a thank-you note along with a request to stamp the certificate. And that is where my ordeal began. No one had any physical stamps anymore. In the end, I found an old stamp that read something like "Goods received, Karolinska Institutet." It was dried out, but I managed to get a halfway decent imprint.
In Poland, the traditional use of stamps and seals is very common, although legally it is almost completely voluntary. The image of a Polish office is closely associated with the loud clicking of a self-inking stamp, even though—unlike in Japan—a stamp in Poland never replaces a signature; it merely complements it.
A stamp undoubtedly grants the status of an institution. The color of the ink imprint subconsciously builds the rank of a document and carries a specific message. In Poland, a red stamp is associated with the highest institutional status, solemnity, statehood, and action in the name of the law. The color red is traditionally reserved for public administration, courts, prosecution offices, the military, police, fire departments, and the education system. This stems directly from the old custom of using red wax (lak) to seal the most important letters and decrees. The shape of the stamp and the size of the lettering often define its purpose and what matters most. Oval or elliptical stamps are frequently chosen by libraries and archives.
SELF-GOVERNMENT and THE SELF-GOVERNMENT COUNCIL
On both seals from "Dom Sierot" (Orphan's Home) and "Nasz Dom" (Our Home) shown above, SELF-GOVERNMENT (SAMORZĄD) and THE SELF-GOVERNMENT COUNCIL (RADA SAMORZĄDOWA) are written in capital letters. This elevates the rank of the Self-Government, along with, of course, the fact that it possessed its own seal.
The Peer Court, the Sejm (Children's Parliament), and the Self-Government Council constituted the three pillars of children's power in Korczak's system of self-governance at "Dom Sierot" and "Nasz Dom," with the Self-Government Council acting as the executive branch (the equivalent of a government). The composition and operational rules of the Self-Government Council in both homes were based on a unique, rigorous democratic structure.
The Self-Government Council consisted of children and staff. The Chairman of the Council was most frequently an educator—sometimes Janusz Korczak or Maryna Falska themselves—which was meant to guarantee logistical assistance and the institutional stability of the "government." The Council included 20 children, meaning that essentially 1/5 of the children were elected for a 3-month term. To prevent the monopolization of power and to give a chance to as many wards as possible, 1/3 of the Council's composition was rotated every month (some children left, and new ones were appointed in their place).
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| From: Rogowska-Falska, Maria. Zakład wychowawczy "Nasz Dom": szkic informacyjny 1928. |
