Bidspirit auction | A Collection of Heraldic Wax

A Collection of Heraldic Wax Seals and Impressions, 16th to 18th Century - A collection of armorial wax seals and impressions of European origin, largely featuring Dutch families and administrative officials. The collection spans from the late 16th to the mid-18th century. Each specimen is individually mounted on card stock or heavy paper, many secured with paper strips and accompanied by handwritten identification in Dutch. The collection includes several notable red wax seals. One prominent example is a large, circular red seal for Rijngraat J. Th. Christ. Marquis v. Bergen o. Zoom, dated 1722, featuring a highly detailed coat of arms with a central shield, supporting figures, and a crown. Another red seal is identified as Jan Boeck or Frederic, showing a quartered shield with lions and elaborate mantling. A small red seal on a brown card is labeled Becker and features a shield with three horizontal bars within a lobed border. The collection also contains dark wax or lead impressions. One example is identified as Heijman Bouman, Schout in het Ambt van Saffenheim, dated 1617, displaying a shield with a cross and a star. A fragmented dark seal is identified as vande Wall, dated 1766, showing a quartered shield with various heraldic devices. Other cards feature the names de Klotz Houtman, Eijssinck, and Nybroek. Several cards bear institutional or collector marks. A purple ink stamp reading Arm Gen Blz appears on several cards. Another black ink stamp reads Coll; v d Brandeler and is often accompanied by an additional stamp reading Auc; v Stock, Antiq, Nov-29. The collection shows various states of preservation consistent with age and material. Several seals are intact with crisp detail, such as the 1722 Marquis v. Bergen o. Zoom seal (photo 3). Some seals exhibit significant fragmentation, notably the vande Wall seal (photo 10) and the Nybroek seal (photo 4). Minor edge chipping and cracking are visible on the Jan Boeck seal (photo 2) and the Becker seal (photo 9). The mounting cards show some yellowing and edge wear, and several paper fastening strips are discolored or partially detached (photos 5, 8).