There were several dozen Chinese seals found in Ireland between 1780 and 1853, causing a minor sensation not only among antiquarian enthusiasts but also in leading intellectual circles. They were brought together in a book published in 1850 by Edmund Getty, which bore the title Chinese Seals Found in Ireland. Because of the seal script characters on them, the seals were thought to be very old and researchers advanced a series of theories how they could have come to Ireland at a very early age. In reality, however, the seals were not that old, they were probably souvenirs brought to Ireland by someone involved in the China trade, not long before their discovery. The video shows how the interpretation of the seals was linked to Irish Orientalist and nationalist sentiments, aiming to distance themselves from England by creating a past that was as different as possible from that of England.

If you are interested in this story, please check out my paper on this:

Imre Galambos, “The story of the Chinese seals found in Ireland,” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 18, pp. 465–479.