Aspekty badawcze tłoków pieczętnych z sekularyzowanych klasztorów śląskich w zbiorach Muzeum Narodowego we Wrocławiu
Research on seal matrices from secularised Silesian monasteries in the collections of the National Museum in Wrocław

Summary/Abstract: The collection of monastery seal matrices from Silesia, which is in the possession of the National Museum in Wrocław, constitutes valuable source material for research on church sigillography. It includes over 300 seals from Silesian monasteries secularised in 1810, both male and female, as well as orders of knights and hospitals. The collection of medieval and modern seals supplies rich comparative material, especially concerning the production of seals, the materials used and the types of handles that evolved alongside the sealing methods. The engraving of the stamping plate allows us to evaluate the artistry of the old engravers. The circumstances surrounding the creation of this collection provide information about the custom of storing outdated stamps of dead abbots or prior brothers in monastery offices. Seal matrices, unlike damaged or sometimes incorrectly stamped seals, enable more accurate reading of the inscriptions and iconographic elements they contain. The sigillographic material discussed in the article is taken primarily from modern times, specifically the 17th and 18th centuries. This allows us to trace the changes in seal imagery since the Middle Ages, simplification or even secularisation of this imagery, as well as the replacement of Latin inscriptions by the local language, in this case German. They provide a view into new styles applied in art, the influence of current ideological trends, the quest for originality, or also faithful adherence to time-tested models. This is exceptionally interesting material not only for scholars of sigillography but also art historians.

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