Heraldikos šaltiniai Šiaulių "Aušros" muziejuje saugomose Žemaitijos bajorų dvarų kolekcijose

LTŠiame straipsnyje pasirinkta pristatyti Žemaitijos bajorų dvaruose rastus vertingus heraldikos šaltinius, kurie yra saugomi Šiaulių "Aušros“ muziejuje. Nagrinėjant šią temą derėtų pradėti nuo gausiausių heraldikos šaltinių – herbinių antspaudų. Muziejuje yra saugomi įvairūs Žemaitijos dvaruose rasti XVI–XIX a. dokumentai, dalis šioje kolekcijoje esančių dokumentų yra patvirtinti herbiniais antspaudais. Vertingiausi kolekcijos dokumentai – Lenkijos karalių ir LDK kunigaikščių Jono Kazimiero Vazos, Mykolo Kaributo Višnioveckio ir Augusto III Sakso privilegijos su LDK didžiaisiais antspaudais. Šiuose antspauduose vaizduojamas LDK herbas – šarvuotas raitelis su kalaviju ir skydu, dar vadinamas vyčiu, virš herbo skydo yra kunigaikštiška karūna. Virš LDK herbo vaizduojamas mažesnis Lenkijos karalystės herbas su karališka karūna, o iš šonų yra žemių herbai bei lotyniška legenda. Įdomu, kad Kazimiero Vazos ir Mykolo Kaributo Višnioveckio dokumentuose LDK herbą iš šonų laiko skydininkai angelai. Skydininkai LDK herbe atsirado XIV a. pabaigoje. Jau Vytauto laikais didžiajame herbiniame antspaude herbo skydą laikė dvi mažytės žmonių figūrėlės. [Iš straipsnio, p. 50]

ENThe first coats of arms and heraldic traditions in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania emerged later than those in Western Europe, thus considerably fewer heraldic sources have survived to this day. There are virtually no surviving armorials, main sources for heraldry information in Lithuania, with their Western Europe counterparts dating back to the 14th – 15th centuries. This only adds to the importance of other alternative heraldry sources such as seals, stamps, impressions, portraits bearing coats of arms, etc. It should be noted that seals are one of the most important and abundant sources for heraldry information. The analysis of the heraldic sources kept at Šiauliai “Aušros” Museum has shown that the museum contains a variety of surviving documents with heraldic seals dating back to the 16th – 19th centuries. Among the most valuable exhibits are privileges granted by kings of Poland and grand dukes of Lithuania Jonas Kazimieras Vaza, Mykolas Kaributas Višnioveckis and Augustas III Saksas, bearing the major seal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and a privilege granted by Augustas II, bearing a minor seal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The manors of Samogitian nobility stored records (e. g. letters, receipts, excerpts, etc.) which belonged to the owners of archives themselves or which, in one way or another, had come into their possession. The most abundant records kept at the museum are those bearing the heraldic seals of such nobles as the Bilevičius family, Nagurskis family, and Gorskis family. Valuable information about the coats of arms of the nobility can also be found in genealogical tables in which the coat of arms of the family is featured next to the family tree.Currently the museum contains two genealogical tables with the Łubicz coat of arms of Samogitian nobles Jazdovskis family and Choromanskis family dating back to the 19th century. It is noteworthy that impressions may have also featured coats of arms which could represent a person, indicate the holder’s rank, lands owned, position, personality traits, etc. One great example is the eulogies kept at the museum, bearing the Łeliwa coat of arms of the Tiškevičius family, dating back to the 18th century. The nobles had a great interest in collecting paintings which were displayed at their galleries. Among them there were numerous portraits featuring manor owners themselves, their family members or other relatives, friends, etc. Sometimes nobles asked the coat of arm of the person being painted to be included in the painting to demonstrate the ancestry and distinguished status of the family. The museum also contains valuable portraits of the members of the Šuazelis (Choiseul) and Rönne families, Jonas Adamkavičius, and Marijona Regina Vainaitė-Gorskienė, all bearing coats of arms of respective families. The article places an emphasis on the important heraldic source – seal, a device for making seal impressions. The article also presents the seals of different nobles featuring such coats of arms as Łeliwa, Gieysz, Łabędź and others kept at the museum. To sum up, the heraldic sources kept at Šiauliai “Aušros” Museum provide valuable information about the culture, genealogical ties and heraldry of the nobles of Samogitian manors. [From the publication]