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Description: | A copper-alloy seal matrix of Medieval, probabaly 13th century AD, date. The matrix is a pointed-oval shape. The matrix is sub-rectangular in cross-section with the edges slightly champhered so that the front of the matrix is marginally larger than the back. An integral suspension lug projects out of the reverse of the matrix at one tip, the end that has the initial mark in the legend on the front of the matrix. This lug is semicircular in profile and rectangular when viewed from above. It has a height of 5.72mm, length of 9.30mm and width of 3.26mm. The perforation through the lug is circular with a diameter of 2.60mm. Below the lug is a raised and presumably just decorative raised 'moulding' that tapers from the width of 3.26 to a point where it touches the opposite pointing terminal of the matrix. This shallow raised flat ridge increases the thickness of the matrix to 3.80mm (an increase of only 0.62mm). The junction between the lug and flat topped ridge is defined by two transverse shallow grooves of 0.55mm width. These two grooves are set 0.62mm apart.On the front of the matrix is a legend that follows the pointed-oval shape. The legend is bordered above and below with a line of closely set pellets. The legend reads +S':WALTERI:FILI:ROGERI this translates to read: Seal of Walter son of Roger. The letter E's in the legend are rounded (lombardic) which is quite common and the letters I and the initial cross have no serifs, which is relatively uncommon. At the centre of the matrix, filling the pointed-oval field, is a design of a flower with a single leaf either side of the stem. The flower is roughly rectangular in shape and the leaves are both downcurving with the tips of each leaf flicking outwards away from the stem. The flower is being used as a birds nest and three small birds can be seen at the top of the flower with an adult bird, right, above feeding the three chicks.The motif in this central field can probably be best described as a 'pelican in her piety'. See PAS record LANCUM-11FF64.The Matrix weights 8.3g, has a length of 30.11mm, width of 19.65mm, a thickness of 3.18mm which increases to 3.80mm over the reverse flat topped ridge and increases to a maximum 8.75mm when including the height of the lug behind the matrix.
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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