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Theodore (tenth/eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God, standing, facing, orans, with the medallion of Christ before her chest and her maphorion flowing into both fields. Sigla to both sides: ̄θῡ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Border of dots.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΟΔ,

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Θεοδώρῳ

Reverse

St. John the Baptist, standing, facing, wearing a skin that is folded over his left shoulder and draped over his left arm. The left hand seems to hold some sort of object, while the right hand is in front of him, blessing. In the lower right field, an axe sticking into the base of a tree. Inscription in columns to both sides: Ο|Α|Ι̄|ΟΠΡ|Ο|Δ,: ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Πρόδρομος. Border of dots.

Obverse

The Mother of God, standing, facing, orans, with the medallion of Christ before her chest and her maphorion flowing into both fields. Sigla to both sides: ̄θῡ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Border of dots.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΟΔ,

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Θεοδώρῳ

Reverse

St. John the Baptist, standing, facing, wearing a skin that is folded over his left shoulder and draped over his left arm. The left hand seems to hold some sort of object, while the right hand is in front of him, blessing. In the lower right field, an axe sticking into the base of a tree. Inscription in columns to both sides: Ο|Α|Ι̄|ΟΠΡ|Ο|Δ,: ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Πρόδρομος. Border of dots.

Accession number BZS.1947.2.1838
Diameter 20.0 mm; field: 15.0 mm

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Θεοδώρῳ.

Theotokos, help Theodore.

Commentary

In his unpublished catalogue of the Shaw collection, Laurent points out that the axe in the tree to the side of John the Baptist is a reference to Matthew 3:10 (ἤδη δὲ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται).