Seal stamp coat of arms silver metal coat of arms blackened wood handle 18th century
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Armorial seal or stamp* in silver metal, presenting a chiseled coat of arms of a running doe, above three heads of birds of prey (or griffins), surrounded by plant motifs and wearing a knight's helmet, blackened wooden handle, 18th century period.
This seal is in good general condition.
Please note: small accident on the metal (see red arrow), wear and scratches on the wood, wear and dirt from time, see photos.
Collector's item, the oldest examples of which date from four millennia BC. The stamp was first used to affix the personal mark of a character to guarantee the contents of a box or an envelope, the authenticity of a document. We also used the term seal. The small personal stamp has in fact been used in Europe since the Middle Ages. It can be a ring mounted with an intaglio of hard stone, or a gold bezel engraved in hollow (signet rings are nothing else!). But more numerous are the hafted seals, formed of a hard stone engraved in intaglio: carnelian, garnet, sapphire, rock crystal, agate; some are even antique intaglios. These small stamps are sometimes jewels that are hung on a chain or on the chatelaine; like boxes, it is often a gift item. These seals vary in size: we find tiny ones set in pretty chased gold settings, others 1.5 to 2cm in diameter mounted on a handle of gold, pomponne, chased silver, mother-of-pearl, hard stone, wood...
** Coat of arms: in terms of coat of arms and collection, we rather say "the weapons". For an object, the fact of being emblazoned is a quality which can be a source of slight added value. A coat of arms, surmounted by a count's or marquis's crown, always flatters the vanity of its owner. The presence of weapons is often a sign of quality and makes it possible to establish the provenance of an object, provided however that heraldic research is carried out. (Cf. Larousse Dictionary of Antiques and Flea Market).