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Constantine Kamytzes, sebastos (twelfth century, first half)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans, with the medallion of Christ before her. Sigla at left and right: ̅ΘΥ̅: Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εοῦ). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

ΘΚΕΘ,
ΚΝΝtι
νσε
κμυ
τζ

Θ(εότο)κε β(οή)θ(ει) Κωνσταντίνῳ σεβαστῷ [τ]ῷ Καμύτζ(ῃ)

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans, with the medallion of Christ before her. Sigla at left and right: ̅ΘΥ̅: Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εοῦ). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

ΘΚΕΘ,
ΚΝΝtι
νσε
κμυ
τζ

Θ(εότο)κε β(οή)θ(ει) Κωνσταντίνῳ σεβαστῷ [τ]ῷ Καμύτζ(ῃ)

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.507
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

Oikonomides, “Usual Lead Seal,” 152, figs. 3h (obverse) and 4h (reverse). Parallel: Seibt, Österreich 1: no. 171. See also PBW : Konstantinos 20111.

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

Translation

Θεότοκε βοήθει Κωνσταντίνῳ σεβαστῷ τῷ Καμύτζῃ.

Mother of God, help Constantine Kamytzes, sebastos.

Commentary

The owner of this seal, the sebastos Constantine Kamytzes, is known to have lived in the first half of the twelfth century, was married to a relative of Emperor John II Komnenos, received several military commands, and died before Theodore Prodromos (i.e., probably before 1156–58).

When Constantine held the rank of sebastos between the years 1130 and 1150, he had at least four boulloteria. As he chose not to mention on his seal the various functions he occupied for limited periods of time, all four boulloteria seem to have been faithful copies of each other; it is certain, however, that they were not moulded one from another.

Bibliography