Методика класифікації сфрагістичних пам’яток (на прикладі сільських печаток Галичини пізньомодерного періоду)

Abstract

The article deals with the theoretical and practical aspects of the classification of sfragistic monuments. The article reveals the main highly specialized concepts that are required for the scientific description of spragistic material. There are various classification methods for seals. In particular: by type, by carving, by material, by type of image, by legal functions, by the method of sealing, by form, by epochs, by owner. Moreover, each specialist chooses these approaches for the classification of sphragist materials that correspond to the subject and chronological boundaries of the study. The following types of seals are characteristic of the village sphragistics of Galicia: hagiographic, heraldic, vowel, emblematic (symbolic), with an architectural motif, with an arbitrary image, inscription. Most often, there is an emblematic (symbolic) type with an image that has a certain symbolic meaning. Village sphragistics often contain images of human figures or farm scenes with a horse. However, this is no reason to classify seals like portraiture, horse, and foot. After all, most village seals did not represent specific owners of the seals, but symbolic figures. It is also not possible to consider any plot images on seals to be of the coat of arms type. After all, for example, the village communities of Galicia, with some rare exceptions, had no coat of arms. Therefore, their seals usually do not depict a coat of arms, but a village emblem. Only those seals that contain a coat of arms, an element of a coat of arms, or a coat of arms figure can belong to the coat of arms type. Seals with figures taken from the coats of arms of states, administrative units, historical territories, lands, noble coats of arms can be included in this type. The material for impressions of the village seals of Galicia was most often soot and ink, less often – wax. From the 19th century matrices, which have a convex relief (for “wet impression”), along with counter-relief matrices (for wax seals) are becoming more common.