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Nikephoros deacon of the Great Church and chartophylax (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God standing orans with a medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Circular inscription beginning at seven o'clock. Border of dots.

θκεοηθ,τσδλ

Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of six lines preceded and followed by decoration (the final four letters between two pellets). Border of dots.

  
νικηφο
ρδιακο
ντησεκ
κλησιασS
χαρτοφυ
λακι
  

Νικηφόρῳ διακόνῳ τῆς Μ(ε)γ(άλης) Ἐκκλησίας (καὶ) χαρτοφύλακι

Obverse

The Mother of God standing orans with a medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Circular inscription beginning at seven o'clock. Border of dots.

θκεοηθ,τσδλ

Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of six lines preceded and followed by decoration (the final four letters between two pellets). Border of dots.

  
νικηφο
ρδιακο
ντησεκ
κλησιασS
χαρτοφυ
λακι
  

Νικηφόρῳ διακόνῳ τῆς Μ(ε)γ(άλης) Ἐκκλησίας (καὶ) χαρτοφύλακι

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.496
Diameter 33.0 mm; field: 27.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 42.3; Laurent, Corpus 5.1: no. 94. For a parallel specimen, see I. Koltsida-Makre, Βυζαντινά Μολυβδόβουλλα Συλλογής Ορφανίδη-Νικολαΐδη Νομισματικού Μουσείου Αθηνών, no. 268.

Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικηφόρῳ διακόνῳ τῆς Μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας καὶ χαρτοφύλακι.

Mother of God, help your servant Nikephoros deacon of the Great Church and chartophylax.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Βυζαντινά Μολυβδόβουλλα: Συλλογής Ορφανίδη-Νικολαΐδη Νομισματικού Μουσείου Αθηνών (Open in Zotero)