Sealing wax...What it is? This is something that breezes with antiquity, palace coups, conspiracies and secrets. These are love letters, secret messages that should not have been read by those to whom they were not intended. All envelopes, when sealed, were sealed with a wax seal. It was the password on the mailbox for centuries, hacking which could only skillful hands, but so that the mosquito of the nose does not undermine.
To better understand the meaning of the word "sealing wax", thatthis is and for what it is needed, it is worth turning to explanatory dictionaries. They say that the sealing wax is a resinous substance, solid, but heated to low temperatures, capable of melting. This material is used for sealing, sealing and decor.
And if you give a more understandable definition, the sealing wax is a substance that consists of a mixture of resins, oils, balms and dyes.
The twenty-first century is the time of computertechnologies, the era of electronic communication, chats, sms and social networks. No wonder that the inhabitant does not know such a thing as sealing wax. What it is, what it is made of - few people know the answers to these questions.
But such neglect is unforgivable liberty. Mankind has used sealing wax for many centuries, polishing its craftsmanship in its manufacture.
And if the basis of the first wax seals was beeswax in its pure form or diluted with clay, now the composition has more than a dozen ingredients.
First of all, it is resin.This list includes rosin, shellac, copal and turpentine. This mixture is heated in a special container, and after it melts, additional substances are added to it, thanks to which the sealing wax acquires the necessary strength, structure, gloss and color. This includes materials such as chalk, heavy spar, talc, gypsum, sulfur boride salt.
At first this material had only a protectivefunction. However, with the increasing demands of the nobility (the high price did not allow ordinary people to use this substance) it was required to create sealing wax of different colors, to invent molds for prints. Some even covered the seal with a layer of gold or silver.
It is peculiar for a person to show an eccentricity andindividuality even in everyday and simple things. And if at first glance the letter is only a part of business correspondence, it should be understood that earlier this was the main means of communication at a distance. Letters were written for various reasons. With the messengers sent notices about the death of relatives, the birth of children, invitations to celebrations, passed friendly notes and secret love letters.
Each letter had its own style, and often, to emphasize it, used color seals. So, the colored sealing wax served as a sign, which from the threshold could make it clear that in the message.
К примеру, черная печать означала, что полученная correspondence contains information about someone's death, white color is not in vain accustomed to easy and kind events. Such a seal was decorated with invitations to the wedding, they shared information about the engagement.
The red sealing wax had its own color due to its composition and the addition of a waxwood to it. This color was the most popular and was used universally.
It is impossible to imagine how often, when printingtreasured letter with trembling fingers, the addressees nervously fingered the seal, trying to rip it off faster. The remedy was probably the cause for vexation and unnecessary anxiety.
Surgut in our time is often onlydecorative function. Of course, there are still romantics, fans of the verbal genre, who want to be original. But still now the sealing wax, granulated and tableted also enjoys popularity, it is bought piece by piece, often for needlework, decoration of gifts or other handicrafts. Such an element will appeal to lovers of antiquity, and a postcard sealed with wax seal will become something new and exotic.
Another application of sealing wax found in wineries.They can decorate bottles, pouring molten material on the surface. Leaving an impression, the winemaker can put on the bottle some information. This can be the batch number, the date of the spill or the grape variety from which the drink is made.
In some wineries this waybottle bottles. True, it is used as an outer layer of cork. For these purposes, the sealing wax is best suited, it can be of different colors, externally it has a rough texture, its pieces can be confused with a chipped brick.
How long have we written letters on paper?It seems that this was never. Convenience of e-mail is not in doubt. But try to pamper a distant friend, whom you have not seen for many years, parents living in another city, the first teacher with a letter written by her own hand. And to seal it, take the sealing wax. What is it, we already know, you can buy it at the post office, in the stationery stores or needlework. Give your loved ones unforgettable moments and touching memories!
