Bidspirit auction | Late 19th Century Framed Collection

Late 19th Century Framed Collection of Historical Dutch and German Wax Seals - This assortment of approximately 35 historical wax seals is mounted and presented in a white-painted wooden display frame. The collection is titled RIDDERS, GILDEN. in black stenciled letters on the bottom rail and focuses on the Meuse-Rhine region, covering the Dutch province of Limburg and neighboring German territories. The seals are cast in various colors of wax, including red, dark brown, black, and gilt-finished examples, with motifs representing guilds, nobility, and ecclesiastical institutions from the medieval period through the late 18th century. Most seals are accompanied by individual handwritten paper identification tags in Dutch. Guild seals (Gilden) in the collection include the Bakery trade of Roermond (Beckersambacht Roermond), the Surgeon’s guild of Venlo (Chirurgijnsgilde Venlo), the Wheelwrights' guild of Gennep (Rademakers gilde Gennep), the Blacksmiths' guild of 's-Hertogenbosch (Smedegilde s'Hertogenbosch), and the Tailors' guild of Maastricht (Kleermakers gilde Maastricht). Nobility and knightly figures (Ridders) are represented by seals for Jan van Weert, the Duke of Mecklenburg (Hertog van Mecklenberg), and Knight Wolfran van Borselen (Ridder Wolfran van Borselen). Ecclesiastical seals (Geestelijken) comprise a significant portion of the display, featuring the Bishop of Hildesheim, St. Andrew's Church in Cologne (Kerk St. Andreas in Keulen), the Church of St. Mary in Aachen (Kerk St. Maria te Aken), the Chapter of St. Servatius in Maastricht, and various Abbots of Corvey and Bishops of Bamberg and Speyer. A large central oval red wax seal is dated 1792 and identified as belonging to Archdeacon Car. Wilh. g. v. Hoensbroeck. Frame Width: 26.5 inches Frame Height: 21 inches Central Large Seal Height: 4.5 inches. The collection shows significant age-related wear. Several wax seals are fragmentary, exhibit surface cracking, or have missing peripheral sections. The grey paper mounting surface is heavily foxed and discolored, with large tears and material losses, particularly behind the central large seals. The wooden frame has prominent paint loss, scuffs, and abrasions consistent with long-term display. The protective glass is present and intact.