Large Medieval Lead Seal Matrix for William Rolle

Circular, slightly domed mount with a narrow inner quatrefoil border, outside the angles of the quatrefoil, the spandrels containing a raised dot, with linear marks resembling keying, and one spandrel (lower left) appears to have traces of gilding over these; the quatrefoil filled with a seated human figure, nimbate and with a full skirt and tight bodice, the bodice appears to be gilded and it may be that the object was 'parcel' (partly) gilded to emphasise the clothing, also wearing a cloak covering the shoulders; the right hand holding a cup, raised to the mouth; the left hand reaching out towards a perching bird surrounded by a circle (perhaps also a nimbus, showing that it is a holy bird); the bird with its wings held out above its body and its head and beak held upwards; the background filled with motifs, across the centre two rows of half-ovals, each with a pair of V-shaped indentations in the top resembling tulip flowers, a triangular pillar to each side of the legs, each decorated with a pair of oblique grooves, an enigmatic strip decorated with oblique ribbing, running upwards from the lower part of the left-hand foil to the open top of the cup, the lower end appearing to have a face in profile with eye and open jaw, possibly representing a snake or serpent. 2.76 grams, 19 mm



Found whilst searching with a metal detector on 25th September 2014 near Mersham, Kent, UK; declared as Treasure under the Treasure Act with reference number 2017T553, disclaimed by the Crown and returned to the finder. Property of a Kent gentleman, a specialist medieval collector. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.PUBLIC-FF66A3. Accompanied by a copy of the report on the find of potential Treasure for H M Coroner. Accompanied by a copy of the letter from the British Museum stating that the Crown's interest in this find has been disclaimed.

The PAS report states: 'This scene might perhaps be interpreted as showing St John the Evangelist (author of the Gospel of St John) with his symbol of an eagle and a chalice with a serpent. The later refers to a poisoned chalice, either the cup mentioned by Jesus to James and John in Matthew ch. 20 v. 23, or the chalice mentioned in the Golden Legend (written c.1260 and extremely popular for the rest of the medieval period) in Ch.9 of which John is said to have survived drinking a cup of poison in an attempt to convert a pagan. Although the figure looks female, John was often depicted with delicate features and beardless. The high quality of the ornament suggests a late medieval date. It may be related to plaques from late medieval reliquary box pendants.'

With central motif of a recumbent stag, border with legend '+ ALAS BOVES'; supplied with an impression. 10.3 grams, 25.4 mm



Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.

This is an example of a common legend, more commonly, ALAS BOVLES/BOWLES, which is associated with matrices bearing animal designs, but which has never been satisfactorily explained.

Large flat-section hoop with applied disc bezel; hoop with enigmatic retrograde legend 'ISR++ЬПШб[.]+KPIC[.]+OUne[.]+BPIC+++'; disc with incised lines forming four panels, with legends 'бu', '+', 'nu', 'Я'. 3.61 grams, 29.55 mm overall, 27.53 mm internal diameter



Private collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent.

Probably a glove-ring. The script appears to be Cyrillic: the sequence ']+KPIC[.]' may spell the word 'Krist-', 'Christ'. The bezel's grapheme 'Я' is probably the pronoun 'I' (1st person singular).