A desk seal that was once owned by iconic Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott has been auctioned off for nearly £14,000.
The rare object, from Abbotsford House in the Scottish Borders, was sold alongside 100 other seals that have Scottish origins. The event was held by Edinburgh-based auction house Lyon & Turnbull.
Sir Walter Scott’s seal, which had been valued between £12,000 and £18,000 prior to the auction, was purchased for £13,860. The item thought to date from his knighthood in 1820 is set in lapis lazuli, gold, and amethyst stones.
Known for being a prolific letter writer, it is believed that the seal — which bears the writer’s family armorial — was used in correspondence to King George IV. This resulted in Scott organising a royal visit to Scotland, complete with tartan pageantry, that resulted in the elevation of the kilt to national dress.
Meanwhile, a rock crystal and multi-gem set desk seal owned by Scottish aristocrat Lady Mary Douglas-Hamilton sold for the same amount as Sir Walter Scott’s seal. Lady Mary was the great-grandmother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and is the great-great grandmother of the current Prince of Monaco, Albert II.
Both objects were in The Matrix Collection, consisting of 100 seals gathered across several decades by the late David Morris. Morris was a keen collector of seals, and amassed the objects for their historical interest as well as their beauty.
Lyon & Turnbull specialist Kier Mulholland, who was at the rostrum for the sale, commented: "The auction was very lively with interest from the UK and across the world. It was an exciting sale to be part of and very satisfying to see demand for these rare seals, each of which tell their own story.
"I’m delighted with the results."
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