ANTIQUE ARMORIAL INTAGLIO GLASS WAX SEAL FOB HERALDIC SHIELD FAMILY CREST GEORGIAN
A fascinating antique armorial intaglio wax seal fob, featuring a finely engraved heraldic shield / family crest cut in reverse for producing an impression in sealing wax.
The coloured seal appears to be glass / historical paste, although a polished hardstone or semi-precious material cannot be entirely ruled out without gemmological testing.
A wonderfully personal antique object with excellent appeal for collectors of wax seals, heraldry, intaglios, Georgian and Victorian accessories and family history.
Details
Item: Armorial Wax Seal / Seal Fob
Period: Antique – Georgian / Victorian Style
Material: Coloured Glass / Paste – possibly hardstone, untested
Technique: Intaglio Engraving
Design: Heraldic Shield / Armorial Device
Theme: Family Crest / Coat of Arms / Heraldry
Use: Wax Sealing / Personal Seal
Form: Fob / Pendant
Armorial Intaglio
The seal is engraved with an attractive armorial design centred upon a heraldic shield.
The design has been carved using the traditional intaglio technique, meaning the image is recessed into the surface.
Importantly, the design is engraved in reverse.
When pressed into warm sealing wax, the resulting impression displays the heraldic device correctly.
This required considerable skill from the original engraver, particularly where small heraldic details were involved.
Heraldic Shield
The shield forms the central element of the design and appears to contain a series of heraldic symbols or divisions.
These details may potentially provide clues to the identity of the original owner or family.
Features useful for further research can include:
Division of the shield
Animals or birds
Stars
Crosses
Initials
Crests
Crowns or coronets
Mottoes
Geometric devices
I have not independently identified the arms represented on this particular seal, so no specific family attribution is being made.
It offers excellent potential for further heraldic or genealogical research.
Family Crests & Coats of Arms
Heraldry developed during the medieval period as a means of identifying individuals and families.
Over subsequent centuries, coats of arms became increasingly important symbols of ancestry, status and family connections.
Personal seals provided a practical way for an individual to reproduce their heraldic device on letters and documents.
As a result, an armorial seal could be a particularly personal possession.
Wax Sealing
Before adhesive envelopes became commonplace, sealing wax was widely used to secure correspondence.
A small quantity of heated wax would be placed over the closure of a letter before the owner's seal was pressed firmly into it.
The resulting impression could:
Identify the sender
Authenticate correspondence
Secure private letters
Decorate documents
Display family arms
The impression could therefore function as both a decorative feature and a form of personal identification.
Georgian & Victorian Seal Fobs
Seal fobs were particularly fashionable during the Georgian and Victorian periods.
They could be suspended from:
Watch chains
Albert chains
Chatelaines
Split rings
Pendants
Decorative fob chains
They were made from a wide variety of materials, with engraved seal matrices produced in glass, paste, carnelian, bloodstone, agate, chalcedony and other hardstones.
Glass / Paste Intaglio
The coloured seal matrix appears to be glass or historical paste.
Glass pastes were used extensively to imitate engraved gems and could be exceptionally convincing, particularly when finely polished and engraved.
Without specialist testing, however, I cannot completely rule out a natural hardstone or semi-precious material.
It is therefore being sold simply as glass / paste, possibly hardstone, untested.
Highlights
Antique wax seal fob
Armorial intaglio
Heraldic shield
Family crest / coat of arms
Reverse-cut engraving
Coloured glass / paste seal
Georgian / Victorian style
Traditional sealing accessory
Personal correspondence history
Heraldry interest
Genealogy research potential
Antique fob
Finely engraved design
Unusual historical object
Excellent collector appeal
A fascinating piece for collectors of antique wax seals, glass intaglios, armorial seals, heraldry, family crests, Georgian accessories, Victorian fobs and antique writing equipment.
Condition
This item is in honest antique condition with wear consistent with considerable age, previous ownership and use.
There are surface marks, scratches, rubbing, tarnishing and general age-related wear to the setting and fittings.
The engraved seal should be studied carefully for any chips, scratches, nibbles, abrasions or other imperfections.
The precise material of the seal matrix has not been gemmologically tested. It appears to be glass / paste, although a natural hardstone cannot be completely ruled out.
The original family represented by the heraldic design has not been independently identified.
Please study all photographs carefully for the heraldic shield, intaglio engraving, seal matrix, suspension fitting, dimensions, weight and overall condition before bidding.
🖼️ Item Condition:
This item is in honest antique condition. I’ve included detailed photographs to show the condition, size, and weight, so please review them carefully before placing your bid.
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