Stamping a letter or document with wax seals evokes memories of the Middle Ages. Today, the Hana Zakka Store at Bau relishes the memory through an array of seals, accessories, and stationeries that exude a vintage yet aesthetic feel.
Reviving wax sealing out of passion
The aesthetics of wax sealing transport us back in time, even before many of us were born. It was a simpler time when letters were written by hand to show sincerity from the heart. Wax seals were first used to authenticate documents by distinguished individuals such as bishops, monarchs, and royal families during the Middle Ages.
By the 13th century, wax seals had gained popularity among monasteries, guilds, aristocrats, and even common folk. Usually, with a stamp of the owner’s initials, this was used in place of a written signature due to common illiteracy. The return of wax seals today is a pleasant awakening of nostalgia, a sense of vintage from returning to a time when sincerity was written on a piece of paper.
For Jong Phei Xia, she enjoys the intricacies that wax seals offer. Though she was aware of it through movies, it was her first purchase during her university days that piqued her interest.
“It was a wax seal stamp with the letter ‘J’, which is the first letter of my first name. I loved it, and it holds a lot of significance for me. That stamp serves as a reminder to myself to never lose sight of my passion of collecting vintage stationery.”
Hana Zakka Store
Having a passion for aesthetic stationery, Jong established an online store in 2019. Known as the Hana Zakka Store, she said that the name was inspired by the Japanese words for flower — Hana — and miscellaneous objects — Zakka.
“Flowers make me happy. That is what inspired me to name my shop Hana Zakka. In a way, I can find a variety of cheerful objects in one store.”
Last year, Hana Zakka Store transitioned from an online store to a physical store in Bau. When you walk in, you’ll notice a wide range of stationery, from vintage to aesthetic, neatly arranged side by side.
Jong sells a variety of wax seal products, envelopes, preserved flowers, journaling materials, and other items. Each has a distinct personality and is a unique addition to one’s daily life.
The clientele
Since it is a niche market, few people would be interested in the elaborate stationery available at the Hana Zakka Store. Thus, the majority of those looking for Jong are stationery enthusiasts.
However, Jong also often deals with a different type of clientele.
“On occasion, couples planning their weddings would make appointments with me. There are also business owners who want to improve the look of their packaging by using wax seals.”
Normally, the food science and nutrition graduate would receive orders via her Shopee account or Instagram messages.
With a small clientele, Jong believes Sarawak still has room for improvement.
“In Malaysia, wax seal is not as popular as it is in other Western countries. However, many people are unaware that these stamps can be used to complement wedding invitation cards, greeting cards, and even journaling.”
Jong would then often upload videos or posts to her Instagram page to share the various ways her products could be used. The businesswoman revealed that she had met lots of other people who shared her passion for stationery through sharing these tutorials.
“And it was because of this that my journey thus far was enjoyable.”
Love for unique stationery
Jong, who has been collecting stationery since a young age, said that it stems from her hobby of drawing and handcrafting.
“When I was in primary school, I used most of my pocket money on expanding my collection of stickers, origami paper, magic pens, notebooks with nice illustrations, and other items.”
To her, these stationeries are what stimulate her imagination and creativity, allowing her to subconsciously create drawings and handmade them.
“And every time I do, I get excited about the outcome. They are like the key that keeps inspiring me to try new ideas and thoughts.”
Jong learned the art of journaling as she grew up and was exposed to social media. Although journaling is similar to writing a diary, it allows one to use more creativity to create an aesthetic page about their day, as Jong did while growing up.
“I never knew that I could record my days and special moments, or make a greeting card to my loved ones in such a creative way.”
It was also during those times that online shopping became popular, and she used it to look for hard-to-find stationery items like stamps, washi tapes, assorted stickers, and so on. Jong revealed that the expansion of her stationery collections was when she began receiving positive feedback on her artwork.
When asked how much she would spend on this shopping spree, Jong said that she can spend up to RM200 per month. The 29-year-old added that she usually gets her collections from Malaysia and China.
Taking it slow and steady
With the Hana Zakka Store mainly operating on online shopping platforms, Jong revealed that the most difficult aspect of running the shop is dealing with shipping fees.
“As an East Malaysian business owner, our product costs more than those in West Malaysia.”
Nonetheless, Jong said that this motivated her to strive to be different in order to compete in the market.
As she moves slowly and steadily, she appreciates those who travelled to Bau just to look at her items.
“But I hope to open my first shop in Kuching within the next three years.”
Jong prepares herself for future challenges by learning how to manage a business systematically through accounting skills, sales knowledge, and marketing strategies. Jong frequently updates her store’s Instagram account, @hanazakkastore, where you can browse aesthetic stationery, especially wax seal stamps.
