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Description: | Cast copper alloy seal matrix with a circular die (face of the seal) depicting a heart element in the centre that is being clapsed by two hands with cuffs, surmounted by a four-petalled flower and bordered by foliage on either side. The handle of the matrix is hexagonal in section and tapers and then widens to a hexagonal collar below a suspension loop that is lozenge-shaped in profile with a circular perforation. These love mottoes in French were private as it denotes and intended to be used for sealing personal letters. They generally date from the 14th century and often have a central design of a heart, flowers or clasped hands (Mills, 1999, 27, Nos.NM.47-48).The lettering reads *PRIEVE SVE DI AMORThe first two words are very common on matrices and mean "private" or "I am private" and AMOR is the French "amour" or "love". So literally it could be "I am private of love", hence perhaps something like "I keep love's secrets" (Irene Szymanski pers comm).Cherry in Saunders (1991) illustrates similar seals in form (not the dies) on pages 36-7, Figs.6-7, Nos.12 & 17-18, which are dated from the 14th century.
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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