Seal matrix of Lviv Jewelers Guild

Lviv. No earlier than 1600
Silver, wood; casting, carving
d 30 mm
Depicted in the middle of the seal is St. Eligius, the patron of the guild, wearing the bishop’s garments and sitting on a throne. He is holding a hammer in his right hand and a cup in his left hand. There is an anvil in front of St. Eligius. A storage cabinet with tools and products can be seen in the background. The seal’s affiliation with Lviv is evident in the lion depicted below, heading in the left direction (in the seal’s imprint). The lion is holding a decorative escutcheon depicting the emblem of the guild and one of the so-called “Meisterstücks” — a dual cup. Abbreviated Latin inscription: “: SIGIL : CONTUB : AURIFA : LEOPOL” (Seal of Lviv Goldsmiths Guild).
The matrix was likely produced on the occasion of approval of the Lviv free jewelers’ guild statute in 1600.
The item was brought to Lviv Historical Museum in 1940 from the former Lviv City Historical Museum, where it was sent from the City Archive.