This beautiful handmade bronze wax seal pendant bears the portrait of the William Shakespeare. A token of a romantic era long gone by. The pendant is roughly half an inch in diameter and is hung from an 18 inch oxidized sterling silver chain.
This pendant is hand made to order in our studio from bronze metal clay, pressed by our antique seal dating from the 1800s (which we have yet to see another of) and fired in our kiln, oxidized, polished and protectively sealed.
Please allow up to 7 business days after your purchase to allow for its creation.
Each piece is hand crafted and may alter in appearance slightly but by no means sacrificed in quality.
This is a petite pendant with very fine details. The photos are magnified to show them.
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The History of Wax Seals
The use of seals can be traced back to the world’s earliest civilizations.
The use of wax seals did not begin until the Middle Ages. Kings, clergy, and royal courts used them in issuing official decrees and authenticating documents. By the 13th century, the use of wax seals spread from aristocrats to the ordinary freemen. Each had their own seal, and in a time when many were illiterate, they were used in place of a signature to authenticate legal or personal documents.
The wax was pressed with a handheld stamp or with a signet ring bearing the owner’s crest or coat of arms. In fact, the kissing of a signet ring of a noble became customary as a sign of respect and allegiance. Later, monograms and novelty stamps featuring popular motifs (such as Aesop’s Fables) were used for personal correspondence and very in vogue during the Victorian era.
Though not of wax, collecting seals as Medallions also became fashionable for stops along the European Grand Tours of the 18th and 19th centuries, a tradition amongst the wealthy aristocracy. James Tassie, a Scottish engraver, reproduced many artistic works of antiquity in miniature, as well as portraitures of well-known people of his era and were highly collected.
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Materials: Recycled Bronze. Ring and chain are sterling silver.
Your purchase will come in a sky blue gift box and black bow, perfect for gift giving or giving the perfect gift to yourself !
We hope you enjoy this piece for years to come.
Thank you for supporting Handmade!
Hugs and kisses
Renata and Jonathan
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