Anonymous (twelfth/thirteenth century)
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin with her hands raised before her. Sigla: ̣̅ΘΥ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Bust of St Theophylaktos, holding a small cross in his right hand; his left hand is obscured. Inscription in two columns: |Θ̣|ΕΦ̣|Λ̣|̣|Τ : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θε(ο)φ(ύ)λα(κ)τ(ος). Border of dots.
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin with her hands raised before her. Sigla: ̣̅ΘΥ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Bust of St Theophylaktos, holding a small cross in his right hand; his left hand is obscured. Inscription in two columns: |Θ̣|ΕΦ̣|Λ̣|̣|Τ : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θε(ο)φ(ύ)λα(κ)τ(ος). Border of dots.
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.1908 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 14.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 7, no. 4.15. |
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 monastic saint Theophylaktos is rarely found on seals. Two other published examples are known: Berlin 2, no. 314 and Wassiliou-Seibt, Bleisiegel, 2, no. 16, both from the eleventh century. Compared to other groups of saints, monastic holy figures are less frequently encountered on seals. For the relative popularity of images of monastic saints on seals, see Cotsonis, “Contribution,” 473-477. As in the case of other monastic saints, Theophylaktos is shown here holding the martyr’s or confessor’s cross, symbolizing the struggles of the monastic life as a continuous form of martyrdom.