Trade Card for Suffield, seal engraver
late 18th–early 19th century
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/8 × 1 3/4 in. (6.1 × 4.5 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1927
Accession Number
26.102.3
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of late 18th- to early 19th-century with this charming trade card, an anonymous engraving advertising the services of Suffield, a skilled seal engraver. Measuring just 2 3/8 × 1 3/4 inches, this pocket-sized gem was designed to be carried and shared, much like a modern business card promoting Suffield's expertise in crafting intricate seals—essential tools for authenticating documents, jewelry, and personal stationery in an era before widespread photography or rubber stamps. Engraving, the medium here, highlights the precision of British printmaking during the Geo...