Georgian Tudor Revival Intaglio Wax Seal Matrix Stamp Royal Crown Orb Scepter UK

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Georgian Tudor Revival Intaglio Wax Seal Matrix Stamp Royal Crown Orb Scepter UK:
$4000.00

For your consideration is an original late 18th-century English bronze double-sided seal fob, executed in the Tudor royal revival style and dating to circa 17701800. This finely hand-crafted object reflects the Georgian antiquarian fascination with Englands Tudor past, a period during which heraldic and royal iconography was frequently revived in personal seals and watch-fob ornaments. The piece retains its original suspension loop and was intended for wear upon a watch chain or chatelaine, serving both functional and symbolic purposes.

The bronze mount measures approximately 18.6 17.4 mm across the matrix face and stands 30.6 mm in height, with a total weight of 7.23 grams. It is fitted with two inset glass intaglios. The principal matrix, composed of deep translucent sapphire-blue glass, is truly lapidary-cut in intaglio and engraved with an arched imperial crown surmounted by the orb and cross (globus cruciger) and flanked by royal scepters. The engraving shows confident wheel-cut linework, varied depth, and precise detailing consistent with late 18th-century English lapidary craftsmanship rather than molded production.

Above this, a secondary inset displays a Tudor Rose formed in genuine gold foil beneath a clear glass dome. The use of gold-foil-backed glass to create luminous heraldic emblems was a popular Georgian decorative technique, producing a striking contrast between the metallic rose and the darker engraved matrix below. The dual imageryimperial crown and Tudor roseforms a coherent revivalist program referencing the authority and dynastic symbolism of the Tudor monarchy, interpreted through the aesthetic sensibilities of the Georgian era.

Structurally and stylistically, the piece aligns with late 18th-century English watch-fob seals rather than 16th-century Tudor administrative matrices. The cast bronze fob construction, suspension loop format, and lapidary-cut glass matrix firmly situate it within the Georgian period. As a survival of the Tudor revival movement within Georgian material culture, it represents a refined and historically resonant example of late 18th-century British seal craftsmanship, combining antiquarian interest, heraldic symbolism, and personal adornment in a compact and elegant form.