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Description: | A lead seal matrix of Medieval date. It is flat, leaf shaped, with a small integrally cast lug that is rectangular in form and unpierced at the top. The front face has a central decorative motif depicting a small cross-shaped object, perhaps intended to be a four-petalled flower, within a pointed oval shaped border. Surrounding the inner border, and within an outer pointed oval border, is a legend that reads +S'MATIL'FIL'IOhIS ('seal of Matilda daughter of John'). The back face of the seal is flat and undecorated. It measures 35.30mm in length, 20.71mm in width, 1.95mm in thickness, and weighs 8.28g.This is a Medieval personal seal of an individual named Matilda, daughter of John. The form of the seal appears part way between the pointed oval shaped and circular seal matrices typical of the 12th-13th centuries AD. This combined with the decorative element and legend suggest it probably dates to the early-13th century AD when Harvey and McGuinness note the increase in pointed-oval shaped seals and particularly their use by women (Harvey and McGuinness, 1996: pp. 79-80). This suggests an early-13th century AD date for the current example.
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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