FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board
Antiquities Discussion Forums => Seals and Tesserae => Topic started by: pogh_poor on May 05, 2019, 12:41:56 pm
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I recently acquired an interesting seal which is giving me some trouble identifying - possibly due to missing letters. It measures 19.20 mm and weighs 5.34g. On the obverse is a Bust of the Mother of God, nimbate,holding the Christ child.
On the reverse I believe that I can read
:Greek_Tau: :Greek_Upsilon: :Greek_Pi_3: H
:Greek_Iota: :Greek_Tau: :Greek_Tau: :U: R
:Greek_omega_small: :A: :Greek_Nu: :Greek_Zeta: X
It looks like it is 10th or 11th Century to me. Any ideas? Pogh_poor
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Here is another view of the reverse
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Yes, as you can estimate from the Hodegetria on the obv., the blank used was much too small for the die of the boulloterion. But you are very lucky that we can read the family name Anzas on the last line: [T]W ANZA. I don't have time right now, but if you are even luckier, this seal is published and you will know the personal name as well. I think I can read traces of Hypatos and [K]PIT TU R(elou), judge of the Velon as well. I'll have a look eventually, but maybe you can find something. Date would be 2nd half 11th century.
Regards
Gert
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I have found an interesting scholarly article on the Seals of the Anzas Family from Dumbarton Oaks entitled The Anzas Family: Members of the Byzantine Civil Establishment in the Eleventh, Twelfth. and Thirteenth Centuries. It discusses seals which may be a close match from the third quarter of the Eleventh Century of a Constantine Anzas , anthypatoas-patrikios, hypatos, and judge.
The obverse on the seals shows the Virgin, half length, and turned partly to her left, carrying Christ on her left arm. She gestures toward Christ who is relatively large, with her right arm, the Hodegetria. Sigla at left and right MP- :Greek_Theta_2: V The seals are in the Hermitage and Vienna collections. I am trying to locate an illustration of the seals. Pogh_poor
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That sounds like progress! Seals from the Hermitage are in the process of being published. The Vienna collection is very well published, mostly because they have a really strong sigillographic department there. I'll have a look later today in their catalogue.
Regards
Gert
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Well, I can confirm that the seal in Vienna (ed. BBÖ II, no. 43 and much earlier by Laurent, Corpus II no. 845) is from the same boulloterion as yours. They say in the comment that the Hermitage seal is from a different set of dies. It is really fortunate that the family name was legible and that the type was published.
Regards
Gert
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Excellent attribution work!
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Gert, thank you for your assistance again!
So the seal reads
Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. / Θεοτόκε βοήθει Κωνσταντίνῳ ἀνθυπάτῳ πατρικίῳ ὑπάτῳ κριτῇ τοῦ βήλου τῷ ᾿Ανζᾷ
Mother of God. / Theotokos aid Konstantinos Anzas, anthypatos patrikios hypatos krites of the velon
It appears that the Anzas were an influential family in the Empire from what I have read. Also, I think that anthypatos was a title ranking between a patrikios and a magistros. Pogh_poor
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Here are better photos
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Excellent photos.