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John III Doukas (1222-1254)

 
 

Obverse

Christ standing, wearing a tunic and himation and holding the right hand in blessing and in the left a stylized book decorated with a cross. He has a nimbus cruciger; each arm is decorated with a pellet in the center and two dots above and below. Sigla at left and right: Ἰ(ησοῦ)ς Χ(ριστό)ς. Inscription in a column at right: [ὁ Χαλ]κίτης. Border of dots.

Reverse

The emperor standing on a circular suppedion, wearing a crown and chlamys that extends outward into a triangular design. He holds in the right hand a short labarum and in the left a globus cruciger. Inscription in two columns. Border of dots.

   ΙΩ                          Ο
  ΔΕΣ                       Δ
ΠΟΤ                         ..
 ΗΣ                           ..

Ἰω(άννης) δεσπότης ὁ Δ[ούκας]

Obverse

Christ standing, wearing a tunic and himation and holding the right hand in blessing and in the left a stylized book decorated with a cross. He has a nimbus cruciger; each arm is decorated with a pellet in the center and two dots above and below. Sigla at left and right: Ἰ(ησοῦ)ς Χ(ριστό)ς. Inscription in a column at right: [ὁ Χαλ]κίτης. Border of dots.

Reverse

The emperor standing on a circular suppedion, wearing a crown and chlamys that extends outward into a triangular design. He holds in the right hand a short labarum and in the left a globus cruciger. Inscription in two columns. Border of dots.

   ΙΩ                          Ο
  ΔΕΣ                       Δ
ΠΟΤ                         ..
 ΗΣ                           ..

Ἰω(άννης) δεσπότης ὁ Δ[ούκας]

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1700
Diameter 42.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 102.1; Zacos-Veglery, no. 117.

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

Translation

Ἰωάννης δεσπότης ὁ Δούκας.

John Doukas, despotes.

Commentary

Zacos (Seals 2, no. 772) has edited the seal of a certain Aaron on which a standing figure of Christ is accompanied by vertical inscriptions identifying him as Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ Χαλκίτης. For a different type of seal belonging to John III Doukas, with two variations, see Zacos-Veglery, no. 118.

Bibliography

  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 6, Emperors, Patriarchs of Constantinople, Addenda (Open in Zotero)