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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Byzantine Coins| ▸ |Byzantine Seals||View Options:   | | | During the Byzantine period, lead bullae (singular, Bulla) were widely used to seal and identify the sender of correspondence and containers in shipment. An iron, pliers-shaped instrument, a boulloterion, was used to impress the designs on a lead bulla seal. After the cord was wrapped around the package or document and the ends inserted in a channel in the blank seal, the seal was placed between the disc shaped engraved dies on the jaws of a boulloterion. The boulloterion had a projection above the jaws, which was struck with a hammer to impress the design on the seal and close the channel around the two ends of the cord. With a bulla in place a container cannot be violated without visible damage to either the bulla or the cord, ensuring the contents remain tamper-proof until they reach their destination. |
Reading a block monogram of such complexity as on the present Byzantine seal can be maddening, like a quadratic or more complex polynomial equation whose solutions are all found to be reasonable. The inherent ambiguity of many block monograms may have been one reason why they fell out of favor during the seventh century A.D. Nevertheless, through patient study, some possible clues have been squeezed out of ours. The monogram may in fact combine a personal name with the office of a bishop (written in the genitive, EΠICKOΠOY, or "of the bishop") or perhaps even an archbishop (APXIEΠICKOΠOY). The person's name is a much trickier question with multiple possibilities, including Markou, Mariou, Marianou, Maurikiou, Eukarpiou, or even Kyprianou (all transliterated into English in genitive form). Another, less probable, possibility is an unidentified eparch (bishop of an eparchy or diocese).BZ114045. Lead seal, cf. Zacos BLS 1208 (for very similar obv.); DOCBS BZS.1951.31.5.3062 (for similar seal with block monogram), Choice gVF, attractive, yellow oxide patina, weight 10.259 g, maximum diameter 22.1 mm, die axis 330o, c. 6th century A.D.; obverse facing bust of Virgin Hodeghetria, nimbate, wearing tunic and maphorion, holding infant Christ on her left arm/shoulder, nimbate, wearing tunic and himation, dove (i.e., the Holy Spirit) above, cross pattée behind; reverse complex block monogram, containing the letters A, Y, E (lunate), I, K, Π, Ο, P, C, and M and/or X, and possibly N; extremely rare; $200.00 (€188.00)
Byzantine Empire, Lead Bulla Seal, Leo Nikerites, Doux, 11th - 12th Century A.D.
There is much we could say about this Byzantine eunuch general who served under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. On our seal, the title of doux (from which English "duke" is derived) was just one of many high-ranking positions enjoyed by Nikerites during his long career, which included posts in the Peloponnese (as anagrapheus), Bulgaria, & Cyprus. However, for our current infatuation in solar eclipses, this anecdote from Anna Komnene's Alexiad overshadows all others!
"In the course of the discussion a certain Nicolas, one of the Emperor's [Alexios'] secretaries, came up to him and whispered in his ear, 'You may expect an eclipse of the sun to take place today [16 February 1086],' and on the Emperor's expressing a doubt, he swore with an oath that he was not lying. Then the Emperor, with his habitual quick-wittedness, turned to the Scythians and said, 'I appoint God as judge; and if a sign appears in the heavens this day, you will know for a surety that I have good reason for suspecting, and therefore not receiving, your embassy because your leaders are not sincere in their overtures for peace. If, however, no sign appears, I shall stand convicted of having been wrong in my surmise.' Before two hours had passed, the light of the sun failed, and the whole of its disc was darkened by the moon's passing over it. At that sight the Scythians were terrified, and the Emperor handed them over to Leo Nicerites (he was a eunuch, brought up among the soldiers from babyhood, and much respected) and ordered him to take a sufficient guard and conduct them to the Queen of Cities. And Leo started very willingly on the road to Constantinople. But the barbarians who were throughout intent on regaining their liberty, slew the guards who were keeping a very careless watch over them when they reached little Nicaea, and returned by devious paths to those who had sent them. Nicerites with three others escaped with difficulty and rejoined the Emperor at Goloë."BZ113298. Lead bulla (tag seal), DOCBS Online BZS.1951.31.5.1259 (same boulloterion or dies); Wassiliou-Seibt BSML II 2526; CGB Istanbul 2.204; Seibt BBÖ I p. 226, 10, VF, uneven, off-centered impression, uniform yellow oxide patina with spots of roughness, remnants of channel for cord visible, weight 10.582 g, maximum diameter 22.1 mm, c. 1100 A.D.; obverse [CΦΓA]/ΓIC Λ[E]/ONTO[C] (sic!; "Seal of Leo/Leon") in three lines, a cross above (off blank), all within dotted border; reverse ΔOV/KOC TOV / [N]IKEPI/TOV (of Duke Nikerites) in three lines within dotted border; ex Time Machine, with a historical connection between Nikerites and a solar eclipse!; very rare; $180.00 (€169.20)
Byzantine Empire, Lead Bulla Seal, Anonymous, c. 7th - 9th Century A.D.
Many Byzantine seals included the name of the sender. For anonymous seals, such as this one, the name of the sender would have been in the document to which the seal was attached. Some anonymous Byzantine seals included verses saying (in Greek): "Observe the document to see whose seal I am" or "The document clearly reveals the writer," etc.BZ113989. Lead bulla (tag seal), unpublished in references held by Forum; DOCBS -, Zacos -, Jordanov -, et al. -, F, bump and marks, weight 7.039 g, maximum diameter 20.4 mm, die axis 0o, 7th - 9th Century A.D.; obverse nimbate and draped bust of St. John the Baptist facing, long cross staff in right hand, Θ over IW-Π/P/ΔO/M (or similar, Greek abbreviation: Ο Αγιος Ιωαννης ο Προδρομος - Saint John the forerunner); reverse the Virgin nimbate, veiled, and draped, with head of nimbate infant Christ before breast, star left and right over MP - ΘV (MP ligate, Greek abbreviation: Mητηρ Θεου - Mother of God) divided across field; $120.00 (€112.80)
Byzantine Empire, Anatolikon Theme, Lead Seal, 7th - 9th Century A.D.
The Anatolikon Theme was a Byzantine theme (a military-civilian province) in central Asia Minor (modern Turkey). From its establishment, it was the largest and senior-most of the themes, and its military governors (strategoi) were powerful individuals, several of them rising to the imperial throne or launching failed rebellions to capture it. The theme and its army played an important role in the Arab-Byzantine wars of the 7th-10th centuries, after which it enjoyed a period of relative peace that lasted until its conquest by the Seljuk Turks in the late 1070s.BZ99057. Lead bulla (tag seal), cf. DOCBS BZS.1947.2.460 (similar seal for a different Demetrios chartoularios); Zacos -, aVF, weight 16.596 g, maximum diameter 22.9 mm, die axis 0o, 7th - 9th century A.D.; obverse Cruciform invocative monogram: TEOTOKE BOETIE (ΘΕOTOKΕ BOΗΘΕI - God-bearer [Mother of God], help); reverse Four line inscription: ΔHMIT/PIW (Demetrios) TO (the) EY/K XAPTO/ΛAP (chartoularios, an administrative position) TON/ANATO (or similar); $45.00 (€42.30)
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