Cloth Seal, Dye Seal, Dyer's Two-Part Seal, Grain Tree

Cloth Seal, Dye Seal, Dyer's Two-Part Seal, Grain Tree, Image & Found by Adam & Lisa.
Found in the East Midlands, ?mm.

Tree with foliate supports showing berries, possible traces of inscription around // missing

Cross shaped tree with with extension on side possibly to represent the letter h. Thought to be a representation of the mythical grain tree, which was beleived to be the source of red dye. Grain refers to the pellets that were the source of Kermes red dye. Thought originally to be grain or seeds from a tree, they are in fact sap-sucking scale insects, Kermes vermilio, which attached themselves to the leaves of trees of a particular species of oak found in the Levant and southern Europe. The pregnant females produce the most dye and resemble small spherical grains. Red dyed cloth was known as engrained after the ‘grain’ used to dye it.

See BSG.CS.00753 for a seal that may also show a representation of a grain tree.