Seal Stamp Carved Handle Solid Silver Monogram 19th Century

Seal or stamp in finely chiseled solid silver with a foliage motif, presenting a monogram, handle in carved bone or ivory, from the 19th century. This seal is in good general condition. Boar's head hallmark. Note: the silver will need to be re-cleaned, the handle is a little dirty and yellowed, wear and tear, see photos. *Stamp: Collector's item, the oldest examples of which date from four millennia BC. The stamp was first used to affix the personal mark of a character to guarantee the contents of a box or an envelope, the authenticity of a document. We also used the term seal. The small personal stamp has in fact been used in Europe since the Middle Ages. It can be a ring mounted with an intaglio of hard stone, or a gold bezel engraved in hollow (signet rings are nothing else!). But more numerous are the hafted seals, formed of a hard stone engraved in intaglio: carnelian, garnet, sapphire, rock crystal, agate; some are even antique intaglios. These small stamps are sometimes jewels that are hung on a chain or on the chatelaine; like boxes, it is often a gift item. These seals vary in size: we find tiny ones set in pretty chased gold frames, others 1.5 to 2cm in diameter mounted on a handle of gold, pomponne, chased silver, mother-of-pearl, hard stone, wood... Dimensions: seal 1.8 cm x 1.6 cm Length: 9.5 cm Reference: E60 852 All photos are on: www.antiques-delaval.com