[HERB SAS] Poland, 19th/20th century. Cast-iron press for stamping dry seals featuring the Sas coat of arms HERB SAS - POLISH HERALDRY - NOBILITY SEAL - DRY STAMP - DESK PRESS - CAST IRON - 19th/20th CENTURY

Cast iron, steel, wood; casting, chiseling and engraving of the die, turning, mechanical assembly, traces of blackening or varnishing.
Base dimensions: 12.4 × 5.4 cm.
A small, desk-top lever press designed to produce a dry, colorless impression on paper. The device is mounted on a rectangular, profiled cast-iron base. The body consists of a massive, arched lever, the surface of which is decorated with a relief floral ornament featuring leaf and volute motifs. At the end of the lever is a large, turned handle made of dark wood, which facilitates the application of pressure.
A stamping mechanism with a pair of metal dies is located at the front of the base. After inserting a sheet of paper between the negative and positive parts of the stamp, pressing the lever caused a permanent deformation of the paper, creating a convex and concave mark without the use of paint, ink, or varnish. Devices of this type were used to mark correspondence, envelopes, family records, office documents, book collections, and private and official printed materials. A dry impression is created solely by the pressure of properly fitted dies; it is therefore distinct from both a wax seal and an ink stamp
The small die visible in the mechanism takes the form of a heraldic shield. Its composition—a crescent moon, a vertically oriented arrow, and accompanying stars—allows the emblem to be identified as the Sas coat of arms. In the classic depiction, it consists of a silver arrow pointing upward, placed above a golden crescent moon and between two golden stars on a blue field. The crest usually consists of seven peacock feathers pierced by an arrow; however, in small seals, the emblem itself was often used in the shield, without a helmet or crest.
The Sas coat of arms was one of the most widespread heraldic symbols of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, particularly prevalent in Red Ruthenia and Galicia. It was used by several hundred families, including the Baczyński, Biliński, Dobrzański, Dzieduszycki, Jaworski, Komarnicki, Kulczycki, Tarnawski, Terlecki, and Wysoczański families. Heraldic tradition links its origins to Wallachian families and the Carpathian borderlands of Poland, Ruthenia, and Hungary. The oldest surviving seal impression of the coat of arms dates to 1464.
Due to the nature of Polish family heraldry, the presence of the Sas coat of arms does not allow the seal to be attributed to a single specific family or individual.
At the bottom of the base, two slotted screws securing the mechanism, a part of the axle or roller, and simple markings are visible; these are most likely assembly marks, inspection marks, or size markings; they do not provide sufficient grounds for identifying the manufacturer.
The press is an interesting example of historical office equipment and, at the same time, an object associated with the culture of Polish heraldry. Its small size, the decorative design of the body, and the personalized die suggest that it may have been used in a private study, an estate office, or a library belonging to one of the families bearing the Sas coat of arms.
Condition: as shown in the photos.