I just added this seal to my
collection, and I am sure,
Quadrans, that you especially will be delighted to see it. At first I thought it was the same
type as yours, but upon second sight there are some minor differences (the shorter
legend and the missing
cross), but the most significant difference is that the
head of the child is missing. I think 1) our two
seals are so close in design that they must have belonged to the same owner, and that 2) my seal must be the first one, made before the birth of their first child. Luckily your seal is exceptionally well preserved, and I don't think I would have been able to read the
legend on mine without the aid of your seal!
16222
Roman lead seal “
Good Shepherd”
4th century AD
In upper register,
Good Shepherd standing left, wearing short sleeveless tunic, carrying
sheep across
his shoulders. Two more
sheep on either
side. In lower register,
confronted heads of a married couple, with the husband facing right, the wife facing left. In the centre, between two horizontal lines,
inscription ICOV XPIC
26x21mm,
diameter of the image 12.5mm; 13.11 gram.
Regards
Gert
