Anonymous (eleventh/twelfth century)
Obverse
St John Chrysostom standing holding a small cross in his right hand and a gospel book in his left. Inscription in two columns: .|Ι|Ο|Ο, : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Ἰω(άννης) ὁ Χρ(υσ)ό(στομος). Border of dots.
Reverse
St Stephen orans, standing. Inscription in two columns: |Ε̣|̣Α|Ν,Ο|ΑΤ|ΑΡ|ΤΥ, : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Στέφαν(ος) ὁ Πρωτ(ο)μάρτυ(ς). Border of dots.
Obverse
St John Chrysostom standing holding a small cross in his right hand and a gospel book in his left. Inscription in two columns: .|Ι|Ο|Ο, : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Ἰω(άννης) ὁ Χρ(υσ)ό(στομος). Border of dots.
Reverse
St Stephen orans, standing. Inscription in two columns: |Ε̣|̣Α|Ν,Ο|ΑΤ|ΑΡ|ΤΥ, : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Στέφαν(ος) ὁ Πρωτ(ο)μάρτυ(ς). Border of dots.
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.3511 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 27.0 mm; field: 18.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 7, 15.46. |
| 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
It is rare to depict Stephen as an orans figure. Usually he is shown with a martyr’s cross or holding a censor and a pyx or incense box, reflecting his liturgical function as a deacon. Of 70 seals from the major published collections having an image of Stephen, four represent the saint as an orans. In addition, he is not often identified as proto-martyrs on the seals: only on 7 of 70 examples. Here with the paired image of Chrysostom holding the martyr’s cross, the owner of our seal appears to emphasize the confessor/martyr aspect of these two saints and not their liturgical roles.