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Nikephoros III Botaneiates (1078–1081)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of Christ lightly bearded, wearing a chiton and himation and holding the right hand in blessing and a book in the left. He has a nimbus cruciger; each arm contains a decoration consisting of five pellets. Sigla: ισ̅ΧΣ̅ : (ησοῦ)ς Χ(ριστό)ς. Border of dots.

Reverse

The emperor Nikephoros III standing on a rectangular dais, wearing a crown (surmounted by a cross?) and a loros, an end of which is draped over the left wrist and decorated with five dots. He holds a labarum in the right hand and a globus cruciger in the left. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

νικηορ,δεσποτ,..οτανιατ.

Νικηφόρ() δεσπότ() [τῷ] Βοτανιάτ[]

Obverse

Bust of Christ lightly bearded, wearing a chiton and himation and holding the right hand in blessing and a book in the left. He has a nimbus cruciger; each arm contains a decoration consisting of five pellets. Sigla: ισ̅ΧΣ̅ : (ησοῦ)ς Χ(ριστό)ς. Border of dots.

Reverse

The emperor Nikephoros III standing on a rectangular dais, wearing a crown (surmounted by a cross?) and a loros, an end of which is draped over the left wrist and decorated with five dots. He holds a labarum in the right hand and a globus cruciger in the left. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

νικηορ,δεσποτ,..οτανιατ.

Νικηφόρ() δεσπότ() [τῷ] Βοτανιάτ[]

Accession number BZS.1958.106.646
Diameter 32.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 85.4. For a similar seal, with the same inscription identifying the emperor, see Likhachev, Molivdovuly, pl. LXXVIII, no. 1.

Translation

Νικηφόρ δεσπότ τῷ Βοτανιάτ.

Nikephoros Botaneiates, despotes.

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)
  • Molivdovuly grečeskogo Vostoka (Open in Zotero)