Ivory Seal
C. 1830-1850
Ivory
Maker Unknown
JJ.1958.93
This ivory seal belonged to William Jay, son of John Jay. The ivory is turned and carved, with the initials “WJ” below the cross and pyramid on the seal. Leaf carving decorates the turned shaft. Originally designed to indicate a signature or to authenticate a document, wax seals became popular in private correspondence towards the end of the medieval period to seal letters – an broken wax seal indicated that one’s letter had been tampered with along the way to the recipient. In the mid-19th century, the cost of postage incorporated the number of sheets, rather than the package weight, making sending letters expensive. Using a wax seal instead of an envelope – to minimize the amount of paper used, became the norm.
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