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Description: | A complete copper-alloy seal matrix which is unusual as the die has been cast rather than engraved as is normally the case. It is most liekly to be medieval and of circa 14th century date and is of chess pawn form. It has a lozenge shaped suspension loop and a hexagonal sectioned shaft the die is shield or triangular shaped. It measures 18.23mm in height and the die is 14.99mm in length and 13.33mm in width. The die has an inscription along its upper edge , the tops of the letters have been cut off, it seems that the metal did not fill the mould when it was cast. The inscription could read IE P or F M, no parallel could be found for this. Below the inscription the field is divided into two by a central longitudinal groove, when impressed to the left is a chicken with a six pointed star behind its head and to the right is a lion rampant the two animals are facing each other. No parallel could be found for these either.The seal matrix is non-heraldic and most smilar to the witty or joke 14th century seals with, for example, a hare riding a hound and blowing a hunting horn with 'I ride' or 'Sohou', a hunting cry, inscribed in one line above, these seals had a great variety in design and legend and some were made to order and perhaps had a personal allusion playing on the owners name the meaning of which is now lost (Harvey and McGuinness, 1996, 89-90). | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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