Watch List notes:

Konstantinos, diakonos, kouboukleisios and first chartoularios of the (patriarchal) sakelle, 11th century. Seal (Lead, 31 mm, 17.00 g, 12 h). Θ / IⲰ / O / XPCT/M, (on the left). Θ / Θ/Є/O/Δ/Ⲱ, (on the right). MHP ΘV (in center) The Mother of God, nimbate, seated on a backless, cushioned throne, cradling a medallion of Christ in her right arm, while placing her left hand on top; to her left, Saint John Chysostomos standing right, holding a book; to her right, Saint Theodore standing left; both Saints are nimbate, are wearing long robes and are raising their hands in a gesture of supplication. Rev. +ΘKЄ R,Θ, / ΤⲰ CⲰ Δ૪ΛⲰ / KⲰN ΔIAKON, / K૪R૪KΛЄICI, / S ΠPOTOXAP/T૪ΛAPI THC / CAKЄΛΛHC in seven lines, decorations above and below. Unpublished in the standard references. A beautifully designed seal of an important cleric with intricate and rare iconography on the obverse. A few light marks, otherwise, good very fine.


On most seals, the 'sakelle' (from Latin sacella = purse) refers to the imperial treasury, but this example belongs to a cleric: he identifies himself as a deacon and he bears the dignity of kouboukleisios, which tells us he was a chamberlain of the patriarch. We can thus conclude that he was probably attached to the patriarchal treasury as first chartoularios, an office hitherto unknown on seals. The patriarchal sakelle, on the other hand, is mentioned on another 11th century seal in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (DO Seals V, 42.24: Nicholas, diakonos of Hagia Sophia, kouboukleisios and epi tes patriarchikes sakelles).