Trade #03

Selvedges and
      Cloth Seals

Trademark of the Hanse era

The selvedge on both sides of the fabric is a by-product of weaving. In the Middle Ages, this selvedge was deliberately used as an additional “branding technique” for trademarks: Production sites introduced specific patterns for the selvedges. The selvedges of these two inconspicuous woollen cloth fragments from Tartu (in Hanse times: Dorpat), Estonia have survived to this day! Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to tell where they were made. Since woollen fabrics decompose in the soil, cloth seals are often the only material evidence of extensive and far-reaching textile trade in the Hanseatic period.

Cloth seal from Leiden: Cloth seas from the Leiden production centre. Various types of cloth were produced here for long-distance trade and were marked with different inspection seals during the production process. At the end of production, the quality of the cloth was finally checked and a lead seal with the Leiden coat of arms was attached. Since woollen fabrics decompose in the soil, cloth seals are often the only material evidence of extensive and far-reaching textile trade in the Hanseatic period.

Selvedge
Tartu City Museum Tartu (Estonia)
1350–1450
Wool

Cloth seal
Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk (Poland)
First half of the 17th century
Lead