Victorian Carnelian Fob Seal with Armorial Intaglio Cut

• Armorial / Armourial - Bearing a coat of arms. Coats of arms came into general use by feudal lords and knights in in the 12th century, and by the 13th century, arms had spread beyond their initial battlefield use to become a flag or emblem for families in the higher social classes of Europe. They were inherited from one generation to the next. When a family crest is used on individual items of silver or furniture it is an indicator of the aristocratic standing of the family represented.
  
  Armorials were also used to decorate mass produced ceramic souvenir ware by such companies as Goss, Carlton & Shelley, and in these cases the coats of arms displayed were of boroughs and cities.
• Victorian Period - The Victorian period of furniture and decorative arts design covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers used and modified many historical styles such as Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others, although use of some styles, such as English Rococo and Gothic tended to dominate the furniture manufacture of the period.
  
  The Victorian period was preceded by the Regency and William IV periods, and followed by the Edwardian period, named for Edward VII (1841 ? 1910) who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India for the brief period from 1901 until his death in 1910.
• Intaglio - A term used to define a method of decoration most common in glassmaking and jewellery which involves engraving, carving or moulding an image into the background, leaving an impression, and leaving the top surface of the item flat, the opposite to relief carving, and also know as counter-relief.
• Carnelian Glass - Carnelian glass is a type of glass that is colored red, orange, or brownish-red. It is made by adding iron oxide to the glass mixture. The color of carnelian glass can vary depending on the amount of iron oxide that is added, as well as the firing temperature. Carnelian glass is often used to make beads, jewellery, and other decorative items. It can also be used to make stained glass windows and other art objects. Carnelian glass is sometimes called "carnelian chalcedony" or "carnelian quartz."
  
  Carnelian glass was first made in the Roman Empire. It was also made in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia. Carnelian glass was not made again until the Renaissance, when it became popular again. Today, carnelian glass is made in many countries around the world.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• seals, for documents - European 436