A bulla (Medieval Latin for "a round seal", from Classical Latin bulla, "bubble, blob"; plural bullae) is an inscribed clay, soft metal (lead or tin), bitumen, or wax token used in commercial and legal documentation as a form of authentication and for tamper-proofing whatever is attached to it (or, in the historical form, contained in it).

Lead bulla (obverse and reverse) of Gregory IX, pope 1227 to 1241. The most distinctive characteristic of a bull was the metal seal , which was usually made of lead, but on very solemn occasions was made of gold, as those on Byzantine imperial instruments often …

A bulla, an amulet worn like a locket, was given to male children in Ancient Rome nine days after birth. Inside the medallion, an amulet was placed, which was usually a phallus – a symbol that brought good luck in antiquity.

The collection of charters related to the Old University of Leuven contains thirty documents issued by the pope and his chancery, that carry a seal made of lead, called a bull. The word bull comes from the Latin bulla, referring to a rounded object, a bubble, boss or stud, which in its turn is related to the Latin word for ‘boiling ...

Apr 20, 2024 · The bulla is from the pontificate of Pope Boniface VIII who reigned from 1294-1303. It is a rare artifact and great addition to the Collection. The word, bull, comes from the Latin, bubble. It is the lead seal that was appended to the end of …

Feb 21, 2019 · Papal bullae are lead seals that were attached to papal documents to guarantee their authenticity. A bulla was attached to its document using a silk or hemp cord, threaded through the vellum and then passed through the bulla itself, from top to bottom.

Papal bull of Pope Urban VIII, 1637 C.E., sealed with a leaden bulla. Papal bulls were originally issued by popes for various reasons of public communication, but after the fifteenth century C.E., they were only issued for the most formal or solemn of occasions.

Nov 12, 2024 · This unique imperial lead bulla depicts Michael VIII Palaiologos in the most formal imperial attire on the front. Above his head he holds an icon of the Virgin Mary. The back of the bulla is occupied by a nine-verse inscription.

Oct 3, 2024 · Two small gold foil-covered lead bullae (amulet or pendant), found inside a ceramic vessel, from Annaghbeg or Monasterredan, Co. Sligo, Ireland, c. 800-700 BCE. National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology, Dublin.

Medieval lead papal bulla from the reign of Pope John XII (1316-34), found during Cirencester Abbey and Saxon Church excavations, 1964—66. Papal bulls — formal proclamations issued by the Pope — were sealed with leaden bullae such as this.