Antiquities Discussion Forums > Seals and Tesserae
Byzantine Lead Seal The Annunciation 39.740g, 38.3x28.2mm
Molinari:
Sold!
Joe Sermarini:
Thanks. I think you will be pleased with it in hand. The photo does not capture the high relief.
Molinari:
Cool--I've actually been studying earlier depictions of the Annunciation in which Mary is featured collecting water from a well, so this will be a nice piece to keep me motivated.
Molinari:
It looks like there is water on the seal pictured below, in fact!
Gert, have you seen this (i.e. the water) motif before?
Nick
Gert:
Yes, I have seen this motif before, but that is not water. It is a thread of purple yarn and a basket. This narrative element of the Virgin spinning whool (emphasizing her womanly virtue) is not in the Gospels - it derives from the protoevangelion of James. In Annunciation scenes there are often allusions to this. Your seal has the basket, but often, it is just a distaff she is holding.
Regards
Gert
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