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Constantine X Doukas (1065-67)

 
 

Obverse

Christ Emmanuel, seated on a lyre-backed throne, wearing a tunic and himation and holding the right hand in blessing and a book in the left. He has a nimbus cruciger. Sigla at right: [(ησοῦ)ς] Χ(ριστό)ς. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

....ΝΟΥΗΛ

[Ἐμμα]νουήλ.

Reverse

Two standing figures. At the left the emperor Constantine X bearded, wearing a crown with cross and pendilia and a loros holding his right hand before his chest and a globus cruciger in the left hand. At the right the Mother of God, wearing a chiton and maphorion, her right hand raised, touching the emperor's crown in blessing. Her left arm seems to be raised above her shoulder. Sigla between the figures Μ(ήτηρ) [Θ(εοῦ)]. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

κωνασλ . . .

Κων(σταντῖνος) βασ(ι)λ(εὺς) [ Δούκας].

Obverse

Christ Emmanuel, seated on a lyre-backed throne, wearing a tunic and himation and holding the right hand in blessing and a book in the left. He has a nimbus cruciger. Sigla at right: [(ησοῦ)ς] Χ(ριστό)ς. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

....ΝΟΥΗΛ

[Ἐμμα]νουήλ.

Reverse

Two standing figures. At the left the emperor Constantine X bearded, wearing a crown with cross and pendilia and a loros holding his right hand before his chest and a globus cruciger in the left hand. At the right the Mother of God, wearing a chiton and maphorion, her right hand raised, touching the emperor's crown in blessing. Her left arm seems to be raised above her shoulder. Sigla between the figures Μ(ήτηρ) [Θ(εοῦ)]. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

κωνασλ . . .

Κων(σταντῖνος) βασ(ι)λ(εὺς) [ Δούκας].

Accession number BZS.1958.106.621 (formerly DO 58.106.621)
Diameter 32.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 78.1; Zacos-Veglery no. 88b.

Translation

Κωνσταντῖνος βασιλεὺς Δούκας.

Constantine Doukas, basileus.

Commentary

For a similar specimen see Seibt Bleisiegel, no. 22 (1065-67), Seibt-Zarnitz, no. 1.1.7 (1065-1067), and Likhachev, Molivdovuly, pl. LXXVI.11.

On this specimen the Mother of God towers over the emperor, as on BZS.1955.1.4328. She is slightly taller than the emperor on the Likhachev specimen and the seal published in Seibt-Zarnitz. On the Vienna seal she and the emperor are the same height.

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)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)
  • Das byzantinische Bleisiegel als Kunstwerk: Katalog zur Ausstellung (Open in Zotero)