v0.157 3/12/2024
Digital Sigillography Resource
Register of Seal Catalogues, Seal Impressions, and Seal MatricesDigisig brings together information from many different sources, including published seal catalogues, research datasets, and many other types of finding aids. These sources can use contrasting terms for the same concepts.
To ensure that differences in terminology do not affect searches on Digisig, the various sources have been aligned internally with Digisig's own terminology.
Digisig's terms are listed below. Digisig aims to provide stable representations of sigillographic concepts in accordance with the principles of Linked Open Data. Nonetheless, Digisig is a work in progress and is subject to change.
General Terms
An individual or corporate body
The means, such as cords or a slip of parchment, by which the support is linked to the thing that is supposed to receive the seal.
A systematically arranged collection of descriptions of seals
A set of seals that share graphical content
A set of systematically arranged descriptions of seals. The collection may take any form, including printed book, card catalogue, hand list, or digital record.
A set of seal impressions
A moment in time
The identifier for a particular seal description within a systematically arranged collection of seal descriptions
A unique set of characters that identifies a resource in the Digisig system
The identifier of a seal description within a particular collection
The area that presents the seal. A bifaced seal can have two faces (an obverse and a reserve).
A string of characters that uniquely identifies a thing within a particular context.
A thing that a repository considers to be complete in itself and to which it has assigned an identifier, such as a shelfmark or a call number. An item may consist of several pieces, but is treated as a unit.
A spatial area with which a seal can be associated. The location is normally derived from the information in the item to which the seal is appended and refers to a point where the sigillant acted when using the seal. The location is normally the location that cataloguers at the repository that holds the item have assigned to the item.
A physical embodiment, either positive or negative, of a seal, in any material
The type of impression material
A description of the visual, as opposed to textual, content of a seal
The name of the actor that a cataloguer of seal identifies with the seal
A span of time
A location, which may be a point or area, where an event occurred
The information needed to locate a manifestation as part of item. This information typically includes the number of the support and the side of the support (front or back).
The string of characters assigned by a repository to an item that incorporates a seal.
A place where items are stored and maintained. More specifically, an organization that holds seals, including archives, libraries, museums, historical societies.
A graphic that captures the appearance of a seal. The graphic may be in any media, including photography, and it may be static or dynamic, so includes computationally generated visualizations
A symbolic object that comprises an identifiable symbol or an aggregation of symbols, such as images or characters, that form a single unit and are intended to be used as a tool of validation, authentication or closure, by means of printing or impressing.
A description of a seal. The description will normally form part of a collection of systematically arranged descriptions and will include reference to a range of aspects of the seal, such as the size and shape
A permanent mark that is left through the application of a seal matrix to an impression material.
A group of similar items that are stored in a particular repository, arranged according to a filing system, and that are related as the result of being created, received or used in the same activity.
The shape that defines the border of the matrix, which might be simple or complex
The authority or person who is identified by the seal and in whose name seal impressions are created. The sigillant is to be distinguished from an official who holds custody of a seal, and the beneficiary, who possesses an impression of the seal.
A material that holds the manifestation of the seal (positive or negative). A support is made from a material, can have an attachment, and form part of an item.
When an item includes multiple supports, the supports are enumerated.
The category of thing that forms the support
Classification
Digisig's classification system is hierarchical, with parent and child classes. Click the '+' button to explore child classes.
Motif consisting of a full-length representation of a humanoid
Motif consisting of a crucified full-length humanoid
Motif consisting of a riding full-length humanoid
Motif consisting of a riding full-length humanoid in armour
Motif consisting of a seated full-length humanoid
Motif consisting of a seated full-length man
Motif consisting of a seated full-length woman holding a child on her lap
Motif consisting of a standing full-length humanoid
Motif consisting of a standing full-length man
Motif consisting of a standing full-length man fighting with an animal
Motif consisting of a standing full-length man wearing liturgical apparel
Motif consisting of a standing full-length woman
Motif consisting of a full-length woman holding a child
Motif consisting of the head or head and shoulders of a humanoid
Motif consisting of a human head on a dish
Motif consisting of a half-length representation of a humanoid
Motif consisting of a half-length representation of a man
Motif consisting of a half-length representation of a woman
Motif consisting of a half-length woman holding a child
Motif consisting of a pair of clasped hands
Motif consisting of the upper limb of a humanoid supporting a bird
Motif consisting of a hand holding an item
Motif consisting of animate creatures, excluding humanoids
Motif consisting of animate creatures, excluding humanoids, birds, fish and insects, but including reptiles and fabulous creatures
Motif consisting of full-length animate creatures, excluding humanoids, birds, fish and insects, but including reptiles and fabulous creatures
Motif consisting of a creature with the head, trunk and arms of a man, joined to the body and legs of a horse
Motif consisting of a terrible reptile, with claws and generally wings
Motif consisting of a creature having the head and and wings of an eagle and body and hind-quarters of a lion
Motif consisting of a hare (a rodent of the genus Lepus)
Motif consisting of a hare (a rodent of the genus Lepus) astride a dog (a domesticated carnivorous mammal, Canis familiaris)
Motif consisting of a lion (a carnivorous quadrupedal animal of the genus Felis leo)
Motif consisting of a lion (a carnivorous quadrupedal animal of the genus Felis leo) fighting another animal
Motif consisting of a sleeping lion (a carnivorous quadrupedal animal of the genus Felis leo)
Motif consisting of a creature with the head and trunk of a woman and tail of a fish
Motif consisting of a sheep (an animal of the genus Ovis)
Motif consisting of a sheep (an animal of the genus Ovis) with a cross tipped staff bearing a pennon
Motif consisting of a squirrel (a rodent of the genus Sciurus), having a long bushy tail and furry coat
Motif consisting of a male deer (member of the family Cervidæ)
Motif consisting of a wild or domestic pig (an animal of the member of the family Suidae)
Motif consisting of an animal having the body of a horse with single horn projecting from its forehead
Motif consisting of the heads of animate creatures, excluding humanoids, birds, fish and insects, but including reptiles and fabulous creatures
Motif consisting of the head of a wild or domestic pig (an animal of the member of the family Suidae)
Motif consisting of the head of a Lion (a carnivorous quadrupedal animal of the genus Felis leo)
Motif consisting of the head of a male deer (member of the family Cervidæ)
Motif consisting of the head of an animal having the body of a horse with single horn projecting from its forehead
Motif consisting of the head of a Wolf (an animal of the genus Canis Lupus)
Motif consisting of a bird (any member of the Aves class of vertebrates)
Motif consisting of an eagle having a double-head
Motif consisting of a bird of prey taking another animal
Motif consisting of a bird perched on a nest feeding its young with its own blood
Motif consisting of two birds drinking from a cup
Motif consisting of a vertebrate animal provided with fins and destitute of limbs that lives exclusively in water
Motif consisting of discrete visual or material things produced by human endeavour that can be touched or seen
Motif consisting of a built structure with battlements
Motif consisting of an object used in activities
Motif consisting of equipment used by animals
Motif consisting of U-shaped metal plates nailed to a horse's hoof to protect it from being injured by hard or rough surfaces
Motif consisting of a mechanical instrument for working upon something, as by cutting, striking, rubbing, or other process
Motif consisting of an instrument having a hard solid head set transversely to the handle, used for beating, breaking, driving nails, etc
Motif consisting of vehicles designed to carry or convey merchandise, materials, or passengers across a distance
Motif consisting of a vessel for travelling on water
Motif consisting of a slender pointed missile that can be shot from a bow
Motif consisting of a slender pointed missile with a weapon for shooting
Motif consisting of a piece of cloth, attached by one side to the upper part of a long pole or staff
Motif consisting of a shield (an implement of defensive armour carried in the hand or attached by a strap to the arm) or a shield-like surface upon which a coat of arms is depicted
Motif consisting of a thrusting weapon consisting of a wooden staff of some length, on which a sharp-pointed head is fixed
Motif consisting of cutting or thrusting weapon with a handle or hilt with a cross-guard, and a straight or curved blade
Motif consisting of a thing generated or produced by, or as if by, nature or a natural process
Motif consisting of the covering of a crustacean, mollusc, or other invertebrate
Motif consisting of a bundle of wheat after reaping
Motif consisting of an object produced to transmit an informational message
Motif consisting of two or more intersecting bars, with many variations in the shapes of the radii
Motif consisting of a type of mark conventionally known as a 'merchant mark': see Edward Mars Elmhirst and Leslie Dow, Merchants' Marks (London, 1959)
Motif consisting of an abbreviation of the name of Jesus
Motif consisting of an asymmetrical device or a device which is symmetrical on only one axis
Motif consisting of a decorative motif in the form of a stylized iris or lily, usually with three curled petals, but occasionally with five, one of which forms the central axis to the symmetrical design
Motif consisting of a pattern of perpendicular and/or horizontal bars
Motif consisting of two or more intersecting branches, leaves or lobes
Motif that cannot be classified
Motif that has not been classified
Shapes
a shape that is rectilinear and bounded by four equal sides at two acute and two obtuse angles
A shape that is bounded by two smooth curved lines of equal length that meet to create points; lens-shaped
a shape that consists of four lobes or leaves radiating at right angles to each other from a common centre
A shape that is rectilinear and bounded by four straight and four right angles, opposite sides being parallel and equal in length, but where the adjacent sides are unequal
A shape bounded by a single curved line, which is everywhere equally distant from the central point
a shape bounded by a smooth curve having no concave parts, longer along one axis and rounded at each end
a shape that is rectilinear and bounded by four equal sides at right angles to each other
a shape that is rectilinear and bounded by three sides at acute angles, with the point at the bottom
a shape that is rectilinear and bounded by three sides at acute angles, with the point at the top
a shape that cannot be determined
Where there is not enough information to determine the shape
Support
A metal disk on which has been impressed, normally on two faces, by a seal matrix.
A reproduction of a seal impression fabricated through the use of a mould.
A circular band, usually metal, worn on the finger for ornamentation.
A fob can consist of a chain and or a rig
Includes equipment for the consumption of food
An object used for taking an impression from a seal matrix
Semi precious stone or glass engraved with a design and used to make an impression on wax or clay
The instrument, which is the result of the moulding process, that enables the production of further casts.
An object that has been cut off.
An instrument used to compress a substance into a smoking pipe
An inscribed tablet
Use specific type where known
An instrument intended for creating seal impressions that bears a design that is engraved into the surface and in the inverse.
Piece of work to test eventual pattern, sometimes small and used as a demonstration of crafter's skill.