Lead - 4 cm (No reserve price)
03
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20
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27
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Starting bid
€ 1
No reserve price
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
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A rare large 17th–18th century Nijmegen city lead seal (keurlood) with the double‑headed Rijksadelaar and NY-MEGEN on the reverse, measuring approximately 4.0 x 3.0 x 0.3 cm.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Rarest Large 17th/18th-Century Lead Quality Seal / Cloth Seal – City of Nijmegen –
Double-headed Imperial Eagle & 'NY-MEGEN'
Specifications:
Object: Municipal cloth lead / quality lead (weighing lead / bale lead)
Provenance: Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
Dating: 17th – 18th century
Material: Lead
Dimensions: approx. 4.0 x 3.0 x 0.3 cm
Condition: Very fine ground-find condition, stable patina, text and crest clearly legible
Description
A particularly fine, substantial and historically significant lead quality seal (cloth seal) from the city of Nijmegen. While the vast majority of preserved lead seals are small, anonymous, or marked only with loose initials, this is a rare, large specimen bearing the full city name and the heraldic city crest in remarkably sharp relief. Crest side (front): A detailed rendering of the crowned double-headed Imperial Eagle with spread wings, referring to Nijmegen as a former Free Imperial City. On the eagle’s chest the heraldic shield (featuring the Gelderland lion) is distinctly visible. Text side (back): Within a beaded circular border, the city name appears in two lines in clear Roman capitals: NY above MEGEN. Both lines are flanked by decorative rosettes. At the top appears a heraldic fleur-de-lis as the quality- and assurance mark.
Details & construction: The cut-off cap lip remains intact and still shows the original parallel die-cuts of the quality inspector’s bar, which was used at the time to pinch the seal around the cloth or the rigging.
Historical context
Such official lead seals were affixed in the 17th and 18th centuries by the officers of the cloth hall and the city council to approved rolls of cloth and textile bales. It served as an official quality and origin mark: guaranteeing correct dimensions, weave density, and dye quality, and proving that the owed municipal taxes had been paid.
Condition report
In authentic ground-find condition with a beautiful natural gray-ochre patina. Not artificially cleaned or trimmed. The relief of both the city name and the double-headed eagle is very clearly preserved.
Rarest Large 17th/18th-Century Lead Quality Seal / Cloth Seal – City of Nijmegen –
Double-headed Imperial Eagle & 'NY-MEGEN'
Specifications:
Object: Municipal cloth lead / quality lead (weighing lead / bale lead)
Provenance: Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
Dating: 17th – 18th century
Material: Lead
Dimensions: approx. 4.0 x 3.0 x 0.3 cm
Condition: Very fine ground-find condition, stable patina, text and crest clearly legible
Description
A particularly fine, substantial and historically significant lead quality seal (cloth seal) from the city of Nijmegen. While the vast majority of preserved lead seals are small, anonymous, or marked only with loose initials, this is a rare, large specimen bearing the full city name and the heraldic city crest in remarkably sharp relief. Crest side (front): A detailed rendering of the crowned double-headed Imperial Eagle with spread wings, referring to Nijmegen as a former Free Imperial City. On the eagle’s chest the heraldic shield (featuring the Gelderland lion) is distinctly visible. Text side (back): Within a beaded circular border, the city name appears in two lines in clear Roman capitals: NY above MEGEN. Both lines are flanked by decorative rosettes. At the top appears a heraldic fleur-de-lis as the quality- and assurance mark.
Details & construction: The cut-off cap lip remains intact and still shows the original parallel die-cuts of the quality inspector’s bar, which was used at the time to pinch the seal around the cloth or the rigging.
Historical context
Such official lead seals were affixed in the 17th and 18th centuries by the officers of the cloth hall and the city council to approved rolls of cloth and textile bales. It served as an official quality and origin mark: guaranteeing correct dimensions, weave density, and dye quality, and proving that the owed municipal taxes had been paid.
Condition report
In authentic ground-find condition with a beautiful natural gray-ochre patina. Not artificially cleaned or trimmed. The relief of both the city name and the double-headed eagle is very clearly preserved.
Details
Material
Lead
Height
4 cm
Width
3 cm
Depth
0.3 cm
Sold by
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The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
