Accession Number

2001.013.0001

Creation Date

circa 1620 – 1622

Description

A lead seal from the galleon Santa Margarita was once affixed to a bolt of cloth. One side of the seal bears a sword over a cross and surrounded by four stars: The seal of the city of Haarlem in The Netherlands. Haarlem was best known at the time for its production of linen cloth. The number “20” is located on the reverse side, and this figure refers to the length of the cloth measured in Dutch ells (1 ell = 69cm/27in). The lead seal is likely representative of the European goods carried across the Atlantic by Margarita to the Spanish colonies in the first leg of the Transatlantic crossing, where there was a demand by the colonists for products from the “Old World.” 3.3 x 2.0 cm.

Exhibition Label

Case Caption (2023):

A Colonist— Gaspar De Rojas

Gaspar de Rojas had immigrated to Peru with his family as a boy, and lived in Lima, where he had become a prominent merchant. He imported textiles and other manufactured goods from Europe and also traded in leather, wax, and fur. He was the agent responsible for a consignment of 100 silver ingots on the Santa Margarita, and 11 on the Nuestra Señora de Atocha.

De Rojas had risked the transatlantic voyage several times. Records state that in 1616 he returned to Peru from Spain accompanied by his bookkeeper and an enslaved mulatto man. In 1620, he sailed with an enslaved African named Felipe Biafra. Aboard the Santa Margarita, he was traveling with his nephew, don Francisco de Rojas. They both drowned in the shipwreck.
Object Caption (2023): 

Bale Seal
Lead (c.1620)
Gift of Carol Tedesco
2001.013.0001

This lead seal was found on the wreck site of the Santa Margarita and was once affixed to a bolt of cloth. On the front, it features the insignia of the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands. Haarlem was best known at the time for its production of linen cloth. The number “20” is stamped on the reverse which refers to the length of the cloth measured in Dutch ells (1 ell = 69cm/27in). The seal had probably fallen off a bale on the outward voyage from Spain to the colonies.
Previous Exhibit Case Caption: Removed March 29, 2023 Lead Cloth Seal Recovered from Santa Margarita Gift of Carol Tedesco Two cloth seals were recovered from the Santa Margarita. This one bears the mark of the Dutch city Haarlem, well known for its successful textile trade. The other seal bears the mark of Amsterdam. Cloth seals were widely used in Europe through the 1700s. They were a means of identification and regulation. Cloth seals were typically two discs joined by a connecting strip that would wrap around the parcel of cloth. A number on the back of the seal would indicate the length of the material. The “20” on the back of this seal is the Dutch equivalent of a half-bolt.