For my historical artifact I chose wax seals admittedly on a whim, I knew on a surface level I thought they were aesthetically pleasing, but I was very surprised to see how much wax sealing is connected to visual communication. I think out of all the projects thus far I was the most engrossed in this research than any, because of the revelation that seals were the start of branding as a whole.
I also greatly enjoyed the process of making a wax seal, I never thought I’d do something like this. It was a nice challenge! I sculpted the stamps out of clay and carved and pressed designs into it before baking. After the stamp set, I placed wax beads into a metal spoon over a candle. As the wax melted I poured it onto the paper and pressed my stamp onto it. It’s a relatively simple process but some things made me have to try multiple attempts. Sometimes the wax would be too runny when I left it on the candle too long so it would show the paper through in some spots. I have also run into a problem with the stamp, where I forgot to dunk it in oil before pressing it into wax and after all the wax stayed and got stuck in my stamp! In a panic, I tried to hold my seal over the candle to get the wax out, but it just ended up burning my stamp, forcing me to make a new one. I enjoyed the whole process nonetheless.
My two wax designs are a bow and an owl. I had both an owl and bow charm that I could press into the clay, like how people in the middle ages used their jewellery to imprint seals. I think they both turned out quite nicely.
For my picture, I set up my artifacts and label on my wooden table to enhance the rustic look of it. I also added an ink bottle with a calligraphy pen and an oil lamp to add to the accuracy of the time period. To make my label fit more naturally in with the picture, I chose a cursive font and added ink splotches around the edges.
The only major gripes I had with my performance is trying to find more time in the week to design a family crest to showcase more variations of the trends of designs prevalent in wax seals. I also think that my composition in my photograph, although atmospheric, doesn’t showcase the details of my wax seals the best. I spent 10 hours on this project and I’d give myself an 8.8/10.
References
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Sealing wax. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/technology/sealing-wax.
The history of Wax Seals and sealing wax. ARTISAIRE. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://artisaire.com/blog/the-history-of-wax-seals-and-sealing-wax/.
Mark, J. J. (2021, November 8). Cylinder seals in ancient Mesopotamia – their history and significance. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/846/cylinder-seals-in-ancient-mesopotamia—their-hist/.
Mesopotamian cylinder seals. History. (2017, May 11). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.historyonthenet.com/mesopotamian-cylinder-seals.