Seal, Gustav Eriksson (Vasa), before 1523
The object in the display case is a silver seal made for Gustav Vasa. Seals and signet rings were used to sign letters or documents by making an imprint in wax or lacquer, for example. The seal imprint certified that the document was genuine. Seals and signet rings are often solid in design and should primarily be seen as utility items. From the Middle Ages, signet rings and seals become more common.
The seal in the display case has a motif showing a helmet with two horns. Between the horns is a vase, which is a symbol of the House of Vasa. The vase is also seen in the shield under the helmet. The inscription reads ‘S GOSTAV ERISON’, ‘Gustav Eriksson’ (Vasa). The seal should date from the time when Gustav Vasa was governor of Sweden, before he was elected king in 1523. The seal was found in Bromma outside Stockholm in 1694 as a find on the farm of the assessor and mintmaster A. Strömner.
