THE race is on to raise more than £150,000 to stop a rare seal commissioned by Robert the Bruce from being exported abroad.
In a remarkable coincidence the news emerged on the same day as the National Library of Scotland revealed that it had found a piece of the burial shroud of the warrior king who led the Scots to victory at the Battle of Bannockburn.
The seal is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £151,250.
To provide a chance to keep it in the UK, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has placed a temporary export bar on the two-part bronze seal commissioned by the king.
Authorised in 1322 by Robert the Bruce, it was used to seal customs documents by Dunfermline Abbey.
The upper part of the seal is engraved with St Margaret, Dunfermline Abbey’s founding saint, and the lower part bears the royal arms of Scotland. The inscription on the side translates as “Robert, by the Grace of God, King of the Scots”. The seal is extremely rare, and is of outstanding significance for the study of medieval Scotland, and medieval goldsmiths’ work.
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said: “This amazing artefact represents one of the few objects directly associated with Robert the Bruce’s reign. Its departure would not only result in the loss of this irreplaceable item, but it would also strip us of the opportunity to learn more about this exceptional figure.
Vaizey took the decision to defer granting an export licence for the seal matrix pair following a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council.
The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds that it was of great value for the study of medieval goldsmith work and sigillography – the study of seals – and the re-establishment of Scottish institutions under the Bruce.
RCEWA member Leslie Webster said: “This remarkable and handsome seal-die is of national importance on several counts; it is closely linked to the charismatic figure of Robert the Bruce, and to the history and institutions of Scotland at a crucial time in its evolution as a nation; its association with the royal abbey of Dunfermline sheds light on how the king acted out his authority, delegating the powers of the crown; and its outstanding quality may suggest the influence of French craftsmen.”
The decision on the export licence application for the seal matrix pair will be deferred for a period ending on 21 June inclusive. This period may be extended until 21 September inclusive if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase the seal matrix pair is made.
When they were sold at auctioned the seals were described as the “property of a London gentleman” but had once been the property of Dr Ebenezer Henderson, 1800-1879, a scientist and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical and Royal Antiquarian Societies.
Shortly after the decision by Vaizey was announced, the National Library of Scotland revealed its find on Twitter, saying: “Export ban on Robert the Bruce’s seal, same day as we come across a bit of his shroud.”
The National View: Make Robert the Bruce’s seal available for the whole country to see
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