Awhile back this blog had a post entitled, “Tassie, Seals, and Keats” setting forth the fondness of the poet Keats for Tassie seals. Recently, I came across a reference to the poet Shelley’s (1792-1822) similar sentiment for the small paste pieces.
In a letter written in Pisa to Thomas Love Peacock dated 21 Mar 1821 Shelley had the following request, “I want you to do something for me: that is, to get me two pounds’ worth of Tassie’s gems, in Leicester Square, the prettiest, according to your taste; among them the head of Alexander; and to get me two seals engraved and set, one smaller, and the other handsomer; the device a dove with outspread wings, and this motto around it:
[ MyI: If anyone, who may be conversant in Greek, has the translation of the motto, please leave it in the comment area below. My optimism is unabated!]
From: SELECT LETTERS OF PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY, Edited with an Introduction by Richard Garnett, D. Appleton and Company, 1896, p157; online at https://www.google.com/books/edition/Selected_Letters_of_Percy_Bysshe_Shelley/1cvTAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=shelley+tassie+gem+motto&pg=PA157&printsec=frontcover
These references to Tassie are no doubt to William Tassie, James Tassie’s nephew who, himself an engraver of note, took over the Tassie business after the death of James in 1799. This interest by Shelley, who was in Italy at the time, further attests to the popularity of these seals in the first part of the 19th century. Now all we need to discover is that Lord Byron also was a Tassie aficionado — the story would be complete.