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Niketas chartoularios of the Schools of the West (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding both hands open before her. Sigla on both sides: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Traces of a circular inscription. Border of dots.

θκε.......σδλ,

Θ(εοτό)κε [βοήθει τῷ] σῷ δόυλ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription in five lines; the final three letters between two horizontal bars.

νικη
χαρτλ
τονσκλ
τησδυ
σεο

Νική[τᾳ] χαρτουλ(αρίῳ) τον σκωλ(ῶν) τῆς Δύσεο(ς)

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding both hands open before her. Sigla on both sides: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Traces of a circular inscription. Border of dots.

θκε.......σδλ,

Θ(εοτό)κε [βοήθει τῷ] σῷ δόυλ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription in five lines; the final three letters between two horizontal bars.

νικη
χαρτλ
τονσκλ
τησδυ
σεο

Νική[τᾳ] χαρτουλ(αρίῳ) τον σκωλ(ῶν) τῆς Δύσεο(ς)

Accession number BZS.1958.106.2905
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1 no. 1.12.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δόυλῳ Νικήτᾳ χαρτουλαρίῳ τον σχωλῶν τῆς Δύσεως.

Theotokos, help your servant Niketas chartoularios of the schools of the West.

Commentary

In line 3, the engraver mistakenly inscribed "σκωλ" instead of "σχωλ"; the inscription of a κ instead of an χ is not at all unique, e.g. SBS 2 (1990), 204, 207.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)