Anonymous (eleventh century)
Obverse
Half-length figure of St Nicholas; details indistinct. Illegible remains of inscription. Sigla in two columns, preserved only at right: Ο̣|̣|. : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Νικ]όλ[αος]. Border of dots.
Reverse
Patriarchal cross with flaring arms, tendrils springing from the base (without steps); curved decorative devices flank the upper cross arm. Border of dots.
Obverse
Half-length figure of St Nicholas; details indistinct. Illegible remains of inscription. Sigla in two columns, preserved only at right: Ο̣|̣|. : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Νικ]όλ[αος]. Border of dots.
Reverse
Patriarchal cross with flaring arms, tendrils springing from the base (without steps); curved decorative devices flank the upper cross arm. Border of dots.
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.3416 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 24.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 7, 19.3. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 7: The Iconographic Seals (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The cross on the reverse, with tendrils springing directly from its base, resembles those depicted on BZS.1958.106.5625; BZS.1955.1.1909; BZS.1955.1.1768; and BZS.1958.106.3744, all dated to the second half of the eleventh century.
Note that this specimen is a tessera issued by a monastery or charitable foundation for the relief of the poor.