Item number: X44

Year: AD 1910

Material: Light Nickel or Silvered Base Metal, Glass

Size: 31.6 x 29.2 x 11.3 mm

Weight: 17.03 g

Provenance: Michael Rötzer 2025

This is a Horse Shoe Watch Fob Seal, a combined watch fob and portable ink stamp, probably made in Munich, Germany, in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The body is formed as a horseshoe, a long-standing symbol of good fortune but also directly associated with the horse trade. The casing appears to be constructed from light nickel or silvered base metal. The front is set with a black glass panel mounted with a gilt metal horse’s head in profile.

The hinged case opens to reveal an internal ink pad and stamp matrix. The stamp appears to read “Alban Oblinger München”, indicating the name and city of the original owner. It is therefore likely that this was a personal or commercial stamp rather than a manufacturer’s mark. The equestrian imagery — the horseshoe form and prominent horse’s head — suggests that Alban Oblinger may have been involved in the horse trade, possibly as a dealer, breeder, or supplier.

In the nineteenth century, seals evolved from engraved gemstone matrices used with sealing wax into more practical ink stamps suited to modern commerce. As trade expanded across Europe, portable stamping devices became increasingly common. They allowed businessmen to mark invoices, receipts, contracts, and correspondence quickly without the need for wax and heat.

Watch fobs originated in the seventeenth century as functional attachments securing a pocket watch to a waistcoat. By the nineteenth century they had become both decorative and symbolic accessories. Many incorporated seals, reflecting their dual role as personal adornment and practical tool. The integration of an ink pad within this example represents a later stage in the development of the seal, prioritising convenience and portability.

This object therefore combines ornament, professional identity, and utility. It served not only as a decorative watch accessory but also as a working commercial instrument, likely carried daily and used in the course of business in Munich during a period when equestrian trade remained economically significant.

物件編號: X44

年代: 公元 1910 年

材質: 輕鎳或鍍銀基底金屬, 玻璃

尺寸: 31.6 x 29.2 x 11.3 mm

重量: 17.03 g

來源: 麥可・勒策爾 2025

這是一件馬蹄形懷錶掛飾印章，為結合懷錶掛飾與隨身油墨印章功能之器物，推測製於十九世紀末至二十世紀初的德國慕尼黑。器身呈馬蹄形，馬蹄自古被視為幸運象徵，同時亦直接與馬匹行業相關。外殼材質應為輕鎳或鍍銀賤金屬。正面鑲嵌黑色玻璃，其上立體裝飾鎏金馬首側面像。

器物採鉸鏈式開闔設計，內部設有油墨墊與印章印面。印文可辨識為「Alban Oblinger München」，應為原持有者之姓名與城市名稱，而非製造商標記。結合馬蹄造型與馬首圖像判斷，此人極可能從事與馬匹相關之行業，如馬商、育馬者或馬匹供應商等。

十九世紀期間，印章由早期配合封蠟使用的雕刻寶石印面，逐漸發展為更符合商業需求的油墨印章。隨著歐洲商業活動擴張，隨身印章裝置日益普及，可快速於發票、收據、契約及書信上蓋印，無需加熱封蠟，更為便利。

懷錶掛飾起源於十七世紀，原為固定懷錶於背心或外套之實用配件。至十九世紀，逐漸兼具裝飾與象徵意義，並常與印章結合，成為身份與實用功能並存之物。本件內置油墨裝置，反映印章由傳統封蠟形式轉向便攜式商用工具之晚期發展階段。

此器兼具裝飾性、職業象徵與實用功能，既為懷錶配件，亦為商業活動中之工作印章，應為原持有者日常隨身攜帶並實際使用之器物。