Imperial rulers stamped their marks on the Admonitions Scroll to signify ownership.

Evidence

This scroll became the prized possession of many emperors, who may have found it to be a useful aid in subduing troublesome wives and mistresses but who also admired its sheer beauty and used the act of collecting this precious masterpiece as a way of showing just how culturally astute and powerful they were. … We know exactly whose courts it was viewed in, because each imperial ruler has left their mark on it, in the form of a stamp carefully placed in the blank spaces around the paintings and the calligraphy. Some of the previous owners have also added their own comments to the scroll. — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 638

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 638
• XREF: connects to: Successful conquerors often adopt local symbols of power. — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 380; A monarch’s identity can be owned by those who embody it — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 698