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Description: | A complete copper alloy late 12th century seal matrix. The die is oval in plan and shows the negative image (facing right) of a lion rampant. Around the die (also in negative) are the letters RICARDI DE GLAMMORGAN, separated from the design by a line that follows the shape of the die. The shaft is conical, six sided and terminates in a quatrefoil shaped loop, directly below which is an hexagonal collar, which mirrors the six sides of the shaft. The die is 22.8mm at its longest point and 13.72mm wide. The over all length of the matrix is 23.08mm and it weighs 9.45g. Its overall patina is brown, but the face of the die and a small fraction of the terminal loop retain a shiny, bronze appearance, though it is unknown if the object has been treated in anyway since discovery.
By the end of the twelfth century the use of seals had spread beyond the gentry and seals such as this one went on to predominate throughout the thirteenth century. They were simple designs surrounded by the name of the owner, and the lion rampant was a popular choice amongst other symbols such as the Fleur –de-lis or flowers. It was not because of ‘social pretension’, but because the legalities of landownership required it, however small your holding was. Richard of Glamorgan was probably one such landowner. | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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