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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 Θεο. Border of dots between two linear borders.

Reverse

Inscription in five lines. Border of dots.

  
ΝΙΚΗ
.ΑΝΑΓΝΗ
ΧΑΡΤΟΦΥ
ΛΑΚΑΣΚΕ
..ΙΣ

Νικήταν ἀγνὴ χαρτοφύλακα σκέποις

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 Θεο. 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
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.

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.

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)