into trademarks. This suggests that the early history of commercial signage is intimately tied up with the history of branding and labelling.

Recent research suggests that China exhibited a rich history of early retail signage systems. One well-documented, early example of a highly developed brand associated with retail signage is that of the White Rabbit brand of sewing needles, from China's Song dynasty period (960-1127 CE). A copper printing plate used to print posters contained message, which roughly translates as: "Jinan Liu's Fine