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John bishop of Sinope (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Nicholas blessing with his right hand and holding a book in his left hand. Inscription in two columns: |ν|ι-κ|ο|λ : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Νικόλ(αος). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, a cross above. Border of dots.

+
σφραγ
Ι̅επισ
κοπσι
νοπ

Σφραγ(ὶς) Ἰω(άννου) ἐπισκόπ(ου) Σινόπ(ης)

Obverse

Bust of St. Nicholas blessing with his right hand and holding a book in his left hand. Inscription in two columns: |ν|ι-κ|ο|λ : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Νικόλ(αος). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, a cross above. Border of dots.

+
σφραγ
Ι̅επισ
κοπσι
νοπ

Σφραγ(ὶς) Ἰω(άννου) ἐπισκόπ(ου) Σινόπ(ης)

Accession number BZS.1955.1.5065
Diameter 19.0 mm; field: 12.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 31.2.

A parallel specimen is published in Sig., 291 (= Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 425; the specimen illustrated is the Dumbarton Oaks one).

Translation

Σφραγὶς Ἰωάννου ἐπισκόπου Σινόπης.

Seal of John, bishop of Sinope.

Commentary

The owner seems to have been trying for a metrical inscription but ended up with one syllable too many.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos (Open in Zotero)
  • Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Hierarchia Ecclesiastica Orientalis: Series episcoporum ecclesiarum christianarum orientalium (Open in Zotero)
  • Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)