MEDIEVAL SEALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 65, 18 March 1937, Page 10

MEDIEVAL SEALS

Some Over 700 Years Old

A small selection of notable medieval seals, some of which are 700 years old, was on display in the Huntington Library in California and included the seals of Edward 111, Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth.

Each English sovereign had a great seal, a, privy seal, an a signet. The great seal was used for important Stat© papers, the P f ivy seal for the king’s own business and for matters not requiring the great seal, and the signet tor his private letters and grants, prior to affixing the privy seal. Until after the middle of the fourteenth century the keeper of the privy seal was a member of the king's household.

Kec'ix'rs went abroad with Edward 111, whose victories in France caused him to add to his title, “King of France.” In the Huntington Library exhibition was a great seal, in green wax, of Edward HI, which is a good example of the Gothic style of the fourteenth century. A fine impression of Queen Elizabeth’s great seal, in bronze-coloured wax, appears on a release dated Jan. 25, L5BB, to Henry, Earl of Huntington, of the manor of Ashby de la Zotiche, in consideration of an* annual payment of £6GO lor 18 years. The front side is at. equestrian portrait nl ‘Good

Queen Bess'’ ana on the back she f shown seated, and dressed in state. Henry Vlll’s great seal is affixed on a grant to the church wardens of Christchurch of the Priory Chur<b there. The document, dated Oct. 23. 1540, begins with an ornamental “H’* with a portrait of the King in his state robes. The seal, in brown wax, has the equestrian portrait of the King un the obverse. Describing the method used in seating these important state documents, C*Pt. R. B. Haselden, curator of manuscripts at the Huntingtan Library, said: “The wax used in the seal was first softened by immersion in warm water. It was tTien flattened into discs, one being placed in each half of the matrix, which had first been rubbed with oil or soapy water. Th e matrix which transferred the impression into the wax was usually made of silver for the royal or more important seals, and was engraved in intaglio. “The tongue of the document waa placed between the two discs and pn ssure applied to the two halves of the matrix, bringing them together, and forcing the superfluous wax out along the edge to be trimmed off with knife. The seal was then hardem*'! ul 'd.l water