Anonymous (tenth century, first half)
Obverse
St Nicholas, blessing with his right hand and holding a gospel book in his left. Inscription in two columns: .|Ν|ΙΚ̣|Ο|| : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Νικόλα(ος). Border of dots.
Reverse
St Basil blessing with his right hand and holding a gospel book in his left. Inscription in two columns: ||Σ̣|Ι||Ι : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Βασίλ(ε)ι(ος). Border of dots.
Obverse
St Nicholas, blessing with his right hand and holding a gospel book in his left. Inscription in two columns: .|Ν|ΙΚ̣|Ο|| : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Νικόλα(ος). Border of dots.
Reverse
St Basil blessing with his right hand and holding a gospel book in his left. Inscription in two columns: ||Σ̣|Ι||Ι : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Βασίλ(ε)ι(ος). Border of dots.
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.3546 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 17.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 7, 15.1. |
| 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
St Nicholas is not portrayed here with his customary features; he is rendered instead with a full head of curly hair, a triangular beard, and large, circular ears, more in keeping with the standard portraiture of St Basil on tenth-century seals. See DO Seals 2: no. 64.1.