Bidspirit auction | Late 19th to Early 20th

Late 19th to Early 20th Century Display Case of Dutch Historical Seal Impressions - A historical educational or museum-style display box containing a collection of seal impressions representing the ruling houses of Holland, Hainaut, and Bavaria. The collection features wax or plaster reproductions of seals spanning the 13th through the 16th centuries. Key historical figures represented through these impressions include Floris V, Willem II, Willem III, and Willem IV (Counts of Holland and Hainaut), as well as Jacoba van Beieren (Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut), Jan van Beieren, and Jan van Brabant. The items are housed in a rustic, white-painted wooden box with a hinged glass lid and a simple metal latch. The front lower edge of the frame features hand-painted Dutch text identifying the contents as ZEGELS v/h HOLLANDSCHE, HENEG; BEYERSCHE HUIS (Seals of the House of Holland, Hainaut, and Bavaria). Inside, the seals are rendered in shades of red, dark green, and grey. A prominent red seal is mounted on cardstock and inscribed with the date 1596 and the text SIGILLVM . ORDINVM . HOLLANDIAE. Many of the smaller impressions are accompanied by detailed handwritten paper labels in Dutch, providing names and regnal dates. The box includes two hanging loops on the underside. Width: 21.5 inches Height: 14.5 inches Depth: 4.5 inches. The display box shows significant wear consistent with age, including extensive paint loss, scuffs, and distressing to the wooden surface. Several seal impressions exhibit edge chipping, cracks, and surface wear. Interior paper labels show heavy aging, foxing, staining, and some tearing, with several labels becoming detached or partially missing. The hand-painted text on the exterior frame is legible but shows some fading and minor losses.