Seal of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, by Malcolm Appleby, Scotland, 1985.

The seal is made of steel, silver and gold.
The blank is made from one piece of steel: its circular base is surmounted by a thick vertical disc topped by a ball. The ball is inlaid with silver stars and an engraved gold sun. The foot of the seal and the narrow sides of the vertical disc are engraved and encrusted with clouds of red, green, white and yellow gold fired onto the steel. The two faces of the disc are carved in steel to which has been applied gold which is engraved. One side bears a winged cat with his front paws together and a ribbon lettered 'Board of Trustees of the'. On the other is a winged cat standing on his hind legs and holding a ribbon lettered 'Victoria and Albert Museum'. The seal is deeply engraved with a seated winged cat, and around its perimeter: 'The Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum'.

The steel blank machined by Neil Strachan of Peterhead Engineering.
The seal was commissioned to fulfil the statutory requirement of the newly constituted Museum Board of Trustees. The subject of a cat with wings was chosen by Malcolm Appleby; the design was based on sketches of his deceased cat, John.

Goldsmiths' Hall Exhibition RF.2006/085

The engraving is based on a design developed from sketches of Malcolm Appleby's cat, John.

Malcolm Appleby, when apprenticed to John Wilkes, gunsmiths, learnt the skill of direct engraving into metal needed for the art of gun decoration. This laid the basis for his present skill as an outstanding artist engraver and carver in both precious and base metals.

M.27-1985