Niketas Anzas, spatharokandidatos (eleventh century, first half)
Obverse
Bust of St. Nicholas, blessing with this right hand and holding a book in his left. Inscription in two columns (note the inversion of letters which we tacitly correct): o|a|γ|ι|σο ΝΙ|Κ|λΟ|Α, : ὁ ἅγιος Νικ(ό)λα(ος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, with the final letter between horizontal bars. Border of dots.
ΚΕ̅,Θ,
ΤΣΔ,
ΝΙΚΗΤ
ΣΠΘ,Κ,
ΤΝ
Ζ,
Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δ(ούλῳ) Νικήτᾳ σπαθ(αρο)κ(αν)δ(ι)δ(άτῳ) τῷ Ἀνζ(ᾷ)
Obverse
Bust of St. Nicholas, blessing with this right hand and holding a book in his left. Inscription in two columns (note the inversion of letters which we tacitly correct): o|a|γ|ι|σο ΝΙ|Κ|λΟ|Α, : ὁ ἅγιος Νικ(ό)λα(ος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, with the final letter between horizontal bars. Border of dots.
ΚΕ̅,Θ,
ΤΣΔ,
ΝΙΚΗΤ
ΣΠΘ,Κ,
ΤΝ
Ζ,
Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δ(ούλῳ) Νικήτᾳ σπαθ(αρο)κ(αν)δ(ι)δ(άτῳ) τῷ Ἀνζ(ᾷ)
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.1408 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 1.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | J. Nesbitt and W. Seibt, “The Anzas Family,” DOP 67 (2013): 191 (mistakenly identified as BZS.1951.31.5.1480). Parallel: I. Koltsida-Makre, Συλλογής Ορφανίδη-Νικολαΐδη, no. 216 (=PBW, boulloterion 5027, Niketas 20265). |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικήτᾳ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ τῷ Ἀνζᾷ.
Lord, help your servant Niketas Anzas, spatharokandidatos.
Bibliography
- The Anzas Family: Members of the Byzantine Civil Administration in the Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Centuries (Open in Zotero)
- Βυζαντινά Μολυβδόβουλλα: Συλλογής Ορφανίδη-Νικολαΐδη Νομισματικού Μουσείου Αθηνών (Open in Zotero)
- Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Istoriceskoe znacenie italo-greceskoj ikonopisi: Izobra zenija Bogomatera v prozvedenijah italo-greceskih ikonopiscev i ih vlijanie na kompozicii nekotoryh proslavlennyh russkih ikon (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Niketas is the earliest known member of the Anzas family. Two types of seals, which are distinguished by only minor differences in spelling, alignment, and decoration, belonged to him when he held the rank of spatharokandidatos, at some point between 1035 and 1055. A parallel to the present specimen is in the Orphanide-Nikolaïde Collection in Athens: I. Koltsida-Makre, Βυζαντινά μολυβδόβουλλα Συλλογής Ορφανίδη-Νικολαΐδη Νομισματικού Μουσείου Αθηνών (Athens, 1996), no. 216.
A second type belonging to Niketas is represented by two seals, one in the Shaw Collection at Dumbarton Oaks (BZS.1947.2.1008) and the other in the Orphanide-Nikolaïde Collection in Athens: Koltsida-Makre, Βυζαντινά μολυβδόβουλλα, no. 215.
A third type, dating to 1045–60, could also belong to the same Niketas. This type is represented by two seals at Dumbarton Oaks (BZS.1958.106.2522 and BZS.1958.106.3254) and possibly a third at the Hermitage (former Lichačev Collection, ex-Schlumberger Collection): G. Schlumberger, Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Paris, 1884), 463, no. 4 (with facsimile); N. P. Lichačev, Istoričeskoe značenie italo-grečeskoj ikonopisi: Izobraženija Bogomateri v proizvedenijah italo-grečeskih ikonopiscev i ih vlijanie na kompozicii nekotoryh proslavlennyh russkih ikon (St. Petersburg, 1911), app. p. 21–22, no. 22, pl. VI, no. 22; V. Laurent, Le Corpus des sceaux de l’Empire byzantin, vol. 2, L’administration centrale (Paris, 1981), no. 350 (eleventh century, second half), with a photo of BZS.1958.106.3254. Although the depiction of the Virgin rather than St. Nicholas suggests that this third type could belong to a different Niketas, the predominance of the Virgin on seals after the second quarter of the eleventh century could mean that Niketas changed his seal’s patron.