Saxon & Medieval — Late Medieval; late 14th-early 15th century
Cloth seal
Lead cloth seal from Malines (Mechelen) in Belgium. It is stamped on one side with the legend 'EPS. LEODI' around a shield with three pales (this refers to the bishop-prince of Liege, whose authority was acknowledged by Malines from 1305 onwards). On the other side is the legend 'FLO.BERTHVL' around a crozier (this refers to Florent or Floris Berthoult, one of the most important lords in the Malines area, who lived from around 1275 to 1331). Lead seals were attached to bales of cloth for quality control. They provide details about the fabric: brand name, size and source, as well as the maker's personal mark. This seal was probably attached to fine woollen cloth imported from Malines and indicates the important role London played in the international textile trade.
- Category:
- Saxon & Medieval
- Object ID:
- 87.219/4
- Object name:
- cloth seal
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Late Medieval; late 14th-early 15th century
- Material:
lead alloy
- Measurements/duration:
- DM 13 mm, DM 15 mm, D 3 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 80%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.