Seals were everyday items in medieval England from 1150 to 1350. Seals were utilized for a variety of exchanges, the most frequent being land agreements, but seals validated any documents that needed proof of identity. A seal has two parts, the wax seal and the metal matrix combined form a seal. Many different social classes within England used them. Seals were attached to documents for selling land, binding serf contracts, or rental agreements within urban settings. Other seal uses included offices such as the mayor or other officials of London or other cities, or they could be used by the clergy, primarily by the bishop to seal court documents or missives between people. Seals helped to create a concept of identity for England in which
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The part that is inscribed is the matrix part of a seal; the part composed of some metal or wood that is engraved with some form of identification. Symbols like flowers, fleur-de-lys, crescents, or other personal identification marks along with some text, identify the owner. Higher status smiths made the high-quality gold and silver seals, were often goldsmiths, while other smiths, such as tinsmiths, tended to make the seals that are more mass-produced from cheaper materials. Matrices were mass produced they were easy to make so that an owner would have several different seal matrices within his or her lifetime. A seal was created when the matrix was pressed down into sealing wax, which was made of beeswax with some dye to make it appear red or another color. The seal was pressed onto the hanging part of the document. When the seal wax hardened, the seal was formed and was attached to the documents to authenticate …show more content…
It most likely belonged to Margaret, the daughter of Alfred, who may have been a medieval businesswoman and this seal would have been what she authenticated documents for her business or possibly her husband's business. She lived during the twelfth century according to the style of the seal. It is 36 mm long and 24 mm wide and made of lead alloy. The lead alloy is an indication of her socioeconomic status because lead alloy was used in the cheaper seals but was still expensive to produce. It is silver in color and has three details inscribed onto the surface of the seal matrix: a crescent, a star, and the Lombardic inscription ‘S' MARG' FIL ALVRADI' meaning the seal of Margaret, daughter of Alfred. It is a vesica, a particular shape of a seal that was oval with pointed ends, which was common the personal seals of
The part that is inscribed is the matrix part of a seal; the part composed of some metal or wood that is engraved with some form of identification. Symbols like flowers, fleur-de-lys, crescents, or other personal identification marks along with some text, identify the owner. Higher status smiths made the high-quality gold and silver seals, were often goldsmiths, while other smiths, such as tinsmiths, tended to make the seals that are more mass-produced from cheaper materials. Matrices were mass produced they were easy to make so that an owner would have several different seal matrices within his or her lifetime. A seal was created when the matrix was pressed down into sealing wax, which was made of beeswax with some dye to make it appear red or another color. The seal was pressed onto the hanging part of the document. When the seal wax hardened, the seal was formed and was attached to the documents to authenticate …show more content…
It most likely belonged to Margaret, the daughter of Alfred, who may have been a medieval businesswoman and this seal would have been what she authenticated documents for her business or possibly her husband's business. She lived during the twelfth century according to the style of the seal. It is 36 mm long and 24 mm wide and made of lead alloy. The lead alloy is an indication of her socioeconomic status because lead alloy was used in the cheaper seals but was still expensive to produce. It is silver in color and has three details inscribed onto the surface of the seal matrix: a crescent, a star, and the Lombardic inscription ‘S' MARG' FIL ALVRADI' meaning the seal of Margaret, daughter of Alfred. It is a vesica, a particular shape of a seal that was oval with pointed ends, which was common the personal seals of