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(The church) of the Theotokos Eleousa (eleventh/twelfth century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans with a medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: ΜΡ̅Θ̅. : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)[ῦ]. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines preceded (and followed) by decoration. Indeterminate border.

  
ησφρα
γ,τισθ̅κ̅
τισελε
.σησ
  

ἡ σφραγ(ὶς) τῖς Θ(εοτό)κου τῖς Ἐλε[ού]σης

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans with a medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: ΜΡ̅Θ̅. : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)[ῦ]. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines preceded (and followed) by decoration. Indeterminate border.

  
ησφρα
γ,τισθ̅κ̅
τισελε
.σησ
  

ἡ σφραγ(ὶς) τῖς Θ(εοτό)κου τῖς Ἐλε[ού]σης

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.567
Diameter 20.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5, no. 75.1; illustrated (pl. 146) in Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1150 bis (variant). See also Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden I, no. 862a.

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

Translation

ἡ σφραγὶς τῖς Θεοτόκου τῖς Ἐλεούσης.

The seal of the Mother of God, the Compassionate.

Commentary

A church of the Theotokos Eleousa was built on the orders of John II (1118–1143) at the Pantokrator monastery. See Janin, Églises, 175; and Speck–Sode, Berlin II, no. 369. Another church and monastery of this name are also known at Constantinople (Janin, Églises, 176–177). Janin, Grands Centres, 380–381, lists a church of this name at Thessalonica and another, but of late date, at Trebizond (272). See also ODB 3: 2157.

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)
  • La géographie ecclésiastique de l’empire byzantin, Vol. 1, Le siège de Constantinople et le patriarcat oecuménique, Pt. 3, Les églises et les monastères (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Bleisiegel in Berlin II (Open in Zotero)
  • La géographie ecclésiastique de l’empire byzantin, vol. 2, Les églises et les monastères des grands centres byzantins (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 1, Siegellegenden von Alpha bis inclusive My (Open in Zotero)