Reproductie van een zegel van een onbekend historisch document, mogelijk betrekking hebbend op Karel de Stoute c. 1865 - 1885

This is a photographic reproduction made by Maurits Verveer, of a wax seal possibly related to Charles the Bold. Seals like this were created by pressing a matrix, or engraved die, into softened wax. These seals were used to authenticate documents and affirm their integrity, but they also communicated power. Wax has a fascinating relationship to heat: it can be softened, formed, and then cooled to create a fragile yet lasting impression. This particular wax seal has broken, revealing the delicate nature of the material, and the vulnerability of the message that it conveys. The making of seals was highly skilled work, with specialist workshops producing them. What’s interesting here is that we are not looking at the original seal, but at a photograph of it. The photograph transforms the seal into a reproducible image, accessible to many, rather than an exclusive emblem of power. Ultimately, the significance of this object lies in its reproduction: in the way that photography democratizes historical artifacts, and allows us to reconsider their meaning in a contemporary context.