Cloth Seal, French, Strasbourg, 1719

Cloth Seal, French, Strasbourg, 1719, Image by PhilD.
Found at Upper Poppleton, York. The shot of the front was taken at an angle so the reverse gives a better idea of the overall shape.

Continental cloth seal - similar one in Egan No.305 Fig.40 - Strasbourg - "Ornate shield with: on a field of scrolling a bend centrally ridged and with vertical hatching, *S fleur-de-lis S* above, baton to each side, 1699 below [this one says 1719 which extends the known date range of this type of seal], all in ornate husk border // ornate shield with: a bend and two grenades fired at both ends, floral scrolling to sides and below, rosette D:GARTNERD:Z.S:ZU:STR(A)...(RG) around" The reverse on this seal is distorted by the rivet.

Egan goes on to say:- "The legend is in German because the city was considered part of Germany until 1681, when it was united with France. The first arms are a version of those of Strasbourg, and the second are claimed to be the family arms of Gartner in accession records (this is unconfirmed). The hatching is probably the monochrome convention for the heraldic gules (red).
This thick, heavy seal waspresumably for a heavy-grade cloth..... Strasbourg produced linen-warp serges, bays, says, and tapestry.... the last may be appropriate for such a large and elaborate seal. Other Strasborg seals found in England include examples dated between 1605 and 1715." Exciting to find one outside this date range at 1719!