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Description: | A cast copper-alloy pointed oval seal matrix of the 13th or 14th century.The field shows a pelican sitting on the edge of a nest in the branch of a tree, plucking its breast in piety to feed its chicks with blood.The inscription reads:+ PILLICAN DIEO_ PROPV XVS EN_D_ MIChI__ORIrene Szymanski notes:'The legend is drawing attention to the parallels between Christ and the pelican, possibly the fact that Christ shed his blood for the matrix owner (MICHI) as the pelican does for its young. The XVS in the middle of the legend expands to CHRISTVS; you'll also find XINE for "Christine" and XSTOPHER for "Christopher" on matrices of this date.The legend running into the device area isn't that uncommon when you have a devout phrase such as here, although it rarely happens when you're dealing with a name. I've recorded quite a few pelicans in their piety - IHS-65B358, IHS-671517, IHS-6720D3, IHS-114175, IHS-7B4697 - but not one with a legend of this type to date; they have generally been personal names. The fact that this is a phrase rather than a name makes it a bit more unusual to my knowledge, but that may be limited by what I've seen.'
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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