Stamp piston

In the 18th century, the development of manufacturing in Pomerania brought a crisis of traditional craftsmanship. Workshops using outdated and expensive production methods began to disappear, along with craftsmen with particular skills. In order to maintain crafts in smaller towns, so-called collective guilds started to be established, bringing together craftsmen of various professions. A seal for such a guild was commissioned in Gryfice in 1798. The design has been thoroughly thought through. The main motif of the seal, a five-field escutcheon presenting the products of the guild members, is surrounded by inscriptions around the rim, carefully made with appropriate punches. Every detail of the elaborate escutcheon and the motif on it was made with great precision. The seal is complemented by a laurel wreath border running along the edge of the seal. This indicates that the seal was not commissioned from just about any craftsman, but by an experienced engraver who knew his trade very well. It is likely that the guild brought together blacksmiths tasked with precision tools and locksmithing. The seal – engraved in bronze – was attached to a wooden handle, with a reinforcing ring of cow horn.

Mieszko Pawłowski