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		seals

		Seals have been primarily used for securing property from around 5000 BC to the present day and have been described as 'devices for making honesty unnecessary'. They have been connected with and developed alongside writing. When first introduced, seals were made of sunbaked clay and bore simple geometric designs. Many early seals had a handle or were dome-shaped and pierced for suspension. These stamp seals continued until around 3700 BC when the cylinder seal was invented in Mesopotamia and south-western Iran. They were usually made of stone of varying hardness and the designs were intaglio, or cut into the object. Seal-makers first used cutting wheels and drills powered by a bow which, according to the latest research at the British Museum, shows that speeds of 18,000 revolutions per minute could be attained. Designs fell into five main categories of animals and hunting, contests, heroes, presentations and banquets. The Egyptians continued the practice of using seals with the added use of semi-precious stones and the introduction of gold and metal finger-rings with seals engraved on them. As time progressed, so did the seal. Glass was introduced and more rare stones, metals and ivory were used. The Greeks and Romans used to seal the knots fastening papyrus, parchment letters and documents in scrolls. Often these seals were kept in seal-boxes. The Byzantine period saw an increase in religious imagery and such seals were used to validate documents and the authentication of Saint's relics that abounded at the time. The use of signet-rings with engraved designs had survived for many centuries, but in the 18th century the craft of gem engraving was revived. Larger matrices were common and developed into desk-sets so popular with the Victorians. Our illustration shows an early geometric clay seal from around 4000 BC; one of greenstone representing an antelope with its head turned to look behind - c.3800 BC; another with the same design made from shell - c.2500 BC; a cylinder seal of c.3500 BC the impression showing soldiers with bows and arrow quivers, holding two prisioners; one from Egypt of c.2000 BC reading "Khar-seal bearer of the King"; an intaglio of a Roman hero set in its original gold finger-ring; two Roman seal-boxes showing a papyrus seal in the one on the right; an 18th C. British silver-mounted fob seal and finally the Great Seal of England of Queen Victoria. These are but a few from our collection.
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