A MID 19TH CENTURY GOLD AND BLOODSTONE FIGURAL DESK SEAL
ENGLISH, CIRCA 1840, UNMARKED
Estimate: £800 - £1,200
Auction: Silver & Objets de Vertu | Wednesday 4th March at 10am
Description
The handle formed as a gauntleted fist with cast and engraved detail, holding a baton with two matrix to terminals one with initials SPL or JPL the other with armorial, the forearm formed of panels of bloodstone and with foliate bordered circular matrix to terminals, the matrix finely engraved with mantled armorial and crest
Dimensions
6.8cm high, matrices 19mm and 8mm diameter
Provenance
The Matrix Collection.
Footnote
Note
Although most likely English made this seal has been made for a continental noble family and apparently one connected to the Royal Household of Portugal. The long established Portugues family of Almeida whose arms these are had long and important connection to the powerful royal family.
There wealth was connected with eh vast Portuguese trade in the east with the 16th century family member Dom Antonio de Almeida being given royal charter to travel o Chain and Japan helping to secure trading routes in the 16th century.