I just received an interesting seal. It measures 22.79 mm and weighs 14.23 g.
On the
obverse is a cruciform
monogram within an ornamental ring. Θεοτόκε βοήθι.
On the
reverse is a cruciform
monogram within an ornamental ring.
I believe that it solves as Θεοτόκε βοήθι. Βαάνου = Theotokos,
help. (Seal of) Baanes and dates to the late 6th century. I think Baanes is an
Armenian name. Is my
attribution correct?
The
Dumbarton Oaks Collection has a seal with a similar
monogram. BZS.1947.2.1752 The curators wrote "In
his unpublished
catalogue of the
seals of the Shaw
collection,
Laurent prefers Ἰωβιανοῦ (Iobianos), although the Ω is not present, as he claims that this is too early for the appearance of the name Baanes. However, that seems unlikely, and indeed, there is no reason that the
Armenian name Baanes could not be read in the seventh century, or perhaps even in the late sixth, as other
seals in our
collection attest. "
Pogh_poor