Seal matrix of the Council of State of the Duchy of Warsaw

In the collections of the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów, almost forty sphragistics pieces – seals or seal matrixes – have survived. The term ‘sphragistics’ is derived from the Greek word ‘sphragis’ standing for a seal (alternatively called sigillography after the Latin word ‘sigillum’) and defines the branch of auxiliary historical sciences where research focuses on interpreting the meaning of seals and determining the circumstances of their creation. The history of sphragistics dates back to the 19th century; at that time, it was noticed that seals could serve as a valuable source material contributing knowledge on political, heraldic and diplomacy arrangements as well as other motifs concerning the past.

The set of seals and seal matrixes preserved in the collection of the Museum dates back to the 18th century. Seals and matrixes are connected not only with the Wilanów estate. The set contains objects that can be associated with specific persons – the owners of Wilanów in the context of posts held by them, but also objects that document the system of administering estates and their functioning, not only the Wilanów estate.

The seal matrix shown here is intended for the impression of the seal in ink. Made of brass, the part containing the image to be impressed has an oval shape and is convexly engraved (the image is cut into the surface) and has a part of the shaft connected to the handle that is adorned with engraved rings. The long handle is made of dark brown wood. In the seal field, there is the great coat of arms of the Duchy of Warsaw consisting of an escutcheon divided vertically into two equal parts with the emblem of Saxony in one field (alternate black and gold strips cut with a strip with a rue twig) and the emblem of Poland in the second field (an eagle in a crown). The escutcheon is placed against the background of a coat lined with ermine fur and topped with a closed royal crown. On the surround, there is a circumscription in Latin: FRID: AUG: D. G. REX SAX: DUX VARS (Frederick August, King of Saxony by the Grace of God, Duke of Warsaw), and under the escutcheon there in an inscription in Polish: PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF || STATE. The seal probably belonged to Stanisław Kostka Potocki (1785–1821), who held the function of President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers from 1809.