Michael III and Theodora (843?–856)
Obverse
Bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown and a chlamys pinned with a fibula on his right shoulder, and holding in his right hand a labarum. No visible epigraphy. Incuse border.
Obverse
Bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown and a chlamys pinned with a fibula on his right shoulder, and holding in his right hand a labarum. No visible epigraphy. Incuse border.
Reverse
Bust of Theodora, wearing a loros and a crown, and holding a globus cruciger in her hand and in her left a cross scepter. No epigraphy visible. Incuse border.
Accession number | BZS.1955.1.4273 (formerly DO 55.1.4273) |
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Diameter | 25.0 mm |
Previous Editions | DO Seals 6, no. 48.2; Zacos–Veglery, no. 55c. |
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 6, Emperors, Patriarchs of Constantinople, Addenda (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
- Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 3, Leo III to Nicephorus III (717–1081) (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The portraits of Michael III and Theodora resemble those from the reverse of solidi which Grierson has dated to 843(?)–56 (DOC 3.1:2.1 [pl. 28])
Zacos and Veglery state that they could discern remains of a circular inscription both on the obverse and reverse and that the inscription on the reverse contains the letter P at right. As the blank of the seal was too small to accommodate the boulloterion's dies, this entry excludes that reading as lying outside the field.