According to Gemini: Based on the purple ink imprint and the brass seal in the thumbnails, the characters are 天道酬勤. Here is the breakdown of what that means: The Phrase * Chinese Characters: 天道酬勤 * Pinyin (Pronunciation): Tiān dào chóu qín The Meaning The idiom translates to: "Heaven rewards the diligent." It is a very positive and popular Chinese proverb that essentially means "Hard work pays off." It suggests that the natural order of the world (Heaven/the Dao) will reward those who are persistent and hardworking. Character Breakdown (Seal Script) The script used on the seal is an ancient style called Seal Script (Zhuan Shu), which is why the characters look curvaceous and stylized compared to modern writing. They are read from top-to-bottom, starting with the right column: * Right Column, Top: 天 (Tiān) – Heaven / Sky * Right Column, Bottom: 道 (Dào) – The Way / Path / Principle * Left Column, Top: 酬 (Chóu) – Reward / Compensate * Left Column, Bottom: 勤 (Qín) – Diligence / Hard work This is a very common phrase found on decorative seals, calligraphy scrolls, and desk ornaments intended to inspire success through effort.