Seal of Latin Emperor Henry of Flanders (DO BZS.1958.106.636)
The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) destroyed the Byzantine Empire, based in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) and founded the Latin Empire. This seal belonged to the second Latin Emperor, Henry of Flanders who ruled the Latin Empire in Constantinople from 1206 to 1216. If you received a document with this seal, you would understand the emperor’s authority in the Crusader world.
This seal was used for protecting and authenticating imperial documents. On each side there are religious and military imagery and inscriptions that work together to portray the emperor's authority over his empire and the Crusades.