Niketas chartophylax (eleventh/twelfth century)
Obverse
Half-length bust of the virgin, looking slightly to the right toward the Christ child whom she holds in her left arm. Sigla visible to the right: Θ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Border of dots between two linear borders.
Obverse
Half-length bust of the virgin, looking slightly to the right toward the Christ child whom she holds in her left arm. Sigla visible to the right: Θ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Border of dots between two linear borders.
Reverse
Inscription in five lines. Border of dots.
ΝΙΚΗ
.ΑΝΑΓΝΗ
ΧΑΡΤΟΦΥ
ΛΑΚΑΣΚΕ
..ΙΣ
Νικήταν ἀγνὴ χαρτοφύλακα σκέποις
Accession number | BZS.1947.2.290 |
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Diameter | 31.0 mm; field: 26.0 mm |
Previous Editions | Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 93; Bulles métriques, no. 251. Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 1476. |
Translation
Νικήταν ἀγνὴ χαρτοφύλακα σκέποις.
Pure one, may you protect Niketas the chartophylax.
Bibliography
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Les bulles métriques dans la sigillographie byzantine (Open in Zotero)
- Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Dodecasyllable. Laurent attributes this seal to Niketas the archdeacon and chartophylax (c. 1076-77), in considering three different known chartophylakes in the period from which this seal stylistically comes, in the late eleventh/early twelfth century.