Gerry's Collection
of Antique Wax Seal Stamps
Family de Méjanès
A Quartered Coat of Arms of Noble Union that possibly points to a Franco-German family alliance
A Quartered Coat of Arms of Noble Union.
The analysis of the coat of arms of this stamp, a quartered shield surmounted by a coronet and a crest in the form of an eagle with wings displayed, allows us to study the past and explore history. It goes well beyond simply admiring ornamental symbolism. While more research is needed, preliminary findings may point to two noble houses - one of southern France and one possibly of Germanic origin - united through marriage and represented heraldically in a form that is both traditional and deeply meaningful.
Coat of arms with full eagle, helmet, coronet, and eagle crest, similar to those on the wax seal stamp
Keystone of the funerary chapel of the de Méjanès family, in the church of Salars (Aveyron, France), dating from the 13th and 14th centuries
Marquess of Méjanes
Decoding the composition and symbols.
At first glance, the composition of the shield immediately suggests that it is an "écu parti en quartier", a shield divided into four quarters, each appearing twice. Such an arrangement is typical of alliance arms used to commemorate significant marriages between noble families. The repetition of each coat of arms - one in the first and fourth quarters, the other in the second and third - reflects the equality of the two lineages and the merging of their heraldic identities. It was a visual proclamation of status, family history, and shared honour, displayed proudly on seals, monuments, and official documents.
Demi-Eagle.
Two quarters of the shield display a demi-eagle rising from the base on a field Or. The eagle, symbol of imperial dignity, strength, and sovereignty, was a frequent charge in the heraldry of the Holy Roman Empire. Its presence here suggests that one of the families involved in this alliance could have originated in the German nobility, maybe among the Reichsritter (imperial knights) or Reichsgrafen (imperial counts). The eagle charge was widely used by such families, and the choice of gold and black - Or an eagle Sable - was one of the most common and prestigious combinations.
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In this coat of arms, the eagle is depicted as a demi-eagle rather than a full one, which is significant. It was common practice for noble families forming cadet branches or marrying into foreign houses to difference their arms, altering them slightly while preserving their essential character. Reducing a full eagle to a demi-eagle was a traditional way to indicate a new branch of a house while maintaining continuity with its ancestral identity. This heraldic nuance reinforces the idea that the German house, supposedly represented here, had entered into a new chapter through its alliance with a prominent French family.
No Hatching, but Chevron and Stars that Lead to the de Méjanès Family.
The other two quarters show a chevron accompanied by three six-pointed stars (or molettes), a design frequently associated with noble houses of southern France. The absence of engraved hatching - which would normally indicate tinctures - is unusual but not unprecedented. In many cases, particularly with well-known families, engravers omitted these details, assuming the colors were already understood. This detail, combined with the provenance of the seal, could point towards the de Méjanès family, a distinguished lineage of Provence and Languedoc. One of its notable branches, the de Randan, bore arms described as "d'argent, au chevron de sable, accompagné de trois étoiles du même, posées 2 et 1". Variants in Azure and Or are also recorded in different branches of the family, demonstrating a certain fluidity in tinctures over the centuries. The geographic origin of the seal - found in Nice - adds some weight to this attribution. The de Méjanès family was influential in the region, holding lands and offices in Provence and often forging alliances with noble houses from across Europe. The hypothesis that this quartering represents a union between a de Méjanès cadet line and a German imperial family is therefore historically plausible and heraldically coherent.
The coronet and the Crest.
Above the shield sits a coronet, placed directly upon the helmet. This element typically denotes the rank of the person who bore the arms, in this case almost certainly the husband, as was customary. If the marriage united families of unequal rank, the higher title was normally chosen for display. The coronet thus confirms that the owner of the seal held a noble title.
Crowning the composition is a crest showing a full eagle with wings extended. This is no coincidence: in heraldry, crests frequently echo or amplify one of the charges in the shield. Here, the full eagle serves as a symbolic “completion” of the demi-eagle shown in the quarters, emphasising the imperial heritage and noble aspirations of the family. It may also be a deliberate allusion to the original, undifferenced arms of the German lineage before its cadency and integration into a new heraldic identity.
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Of course, even if we take into account this analysis, we still need more research to find with certainty who was the owner of this seal.
The de Méjanès Family.
The de Méjanès family is an old Provençal noble family originally established in the region around Arles and Aix-en-Provence, in what was then the Comtat Venaissin and the Provence parlementaire nobility. The family name derives from the fief of Méjanès (or Méjannes), a rural seigneury located near Arles and Camargue, which gave the family its territorial designation. Their earliest documented appearances date back to the 15th century, when members of the family are recorded as landowners, municipal magistrates, and consuls in Arles and its surroundings. By the 16th and 17th centuries, they had entered the noblesse de robe - the class of nobility that gained rank through judicial and administrative service to the crown - and steadily rose within the provincial elite.
The family’s most celebrated figure was undoubtedly Jean-Baptiste Marie de Méjanès, marquis de Méjanès (1729–1786). His life and career exemplify the prestige and influence the family had attained by the 18th century. He served as président à mortier of the Parlement d’Aix, a position of major judicial and political authority under the Ancien Régime. He was known for his intellectual pursuits, bibliophilia, and deep involvement in the cultural and scholarly life of Provence.
The family often married into other influential southern families, including those of Forbin, d’Albertas, d’Agoult, and possibly even into German or Austrian noble houses in the 19th century, strengthening their cross-European ties.
The family held the title of Marquis de Méjanès, a distinction that reflected both their noble lineage and their sustained high office. The title was officially recognized in the 18th century, and even after the French Revolution, it continued to be borne as a titre de courtoisie (courtesy title) by descendants and branches.
Gerry's Collection of Antique Seal Stamps.