Whilst looking at seals, came across this. The mounted earl is pretty conventional for the period 1120-1130s? but the javelin/dart held by the figure on the reverse is interesting. Irish? Is it meant to be the earl as the shield looks the same? Or is it damage to the original seal?
Roy
We need the link to the seal, please, Roy. :)
ooops
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Seal_of_Gilbert_Fitz_Gilbert_de_Clare%2C_Earl_of_Pembroke.jpg
Interesting. 1120 is too early for Irish influence but doesn't Giraldus say Welsh spears were sometimes thrown? That might be a better fit for an Earl of Pembroke.
Cheers
Mick
Interesting to compare with a picture of the 2nd earl's seal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_de_Clare,_2nd_Earl_of_Pembroke#/media/File:Richard_de_Clare_%22Strongbow%22_(seal).png
The end of the spear is damaged but the figure looks far more like a dismounted knight. The head looks like it is helmeted but I suspect it should be mailed - the slight 'brim' perhaps being artistic misinterpretation. With the overall similarity between the two seals, I suspect that the Gilbert seal also looked a bit more like a dismounted miles than this long haired spear chucker.
I suspect the earlier version may also show a bit of artistic embellishment by the copyist who provided the image for the Lansdowne collection, which may explain the flights on the spear. The text which lots of websites have chosen to use mentions that with the name 'Strongbow', an arrow has been shown.
Without seeing an image of the original its hard to say how accurate the drawing is. Feathered javelins are attested elsewhere in the Middle Ages so it is possible. As Peter says, the original figure may have been more martial - the long hair is reminiscent of the tapes or streamers sometimes shown attached to a helmet in seals of this period.