Reproduction of the Seal of St. Martin (capital of Mainz), L. 12th–14th century
Unknown Artist
late 12th–14th century
Medium
Plaster
Dimensions
Diam. 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm); thickness 7/16 in. (1.1 cm); Wt. 0.9 oz. (25.5 g)
Classification
Miscellaneous
Culture
German
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1923
Accession Number
23.218.32
Tags
About this artwork
This plaster reproduction preserves the design of a medieval seal associated with St. Martin, capital of the archdiocese of Mainz, one of medieval Germany's most important ecclesiastical centers. Dating to the late twelfth through fourteenth centuries, the original seal would have been used to authenticate official documents, with wax impressions serving as proof of authority and genuineness in an era when literacy was limited and written documents required visual validation. Seals functioned as...