Watch List notes:

BYZANTINE SEALS. Michael Keroularios (?), Vestarches and chartoularios of the dromos and of Charsianon, circa 11th century. Seal or Bulla (Lead, 29 mm, 19.76 g, 12 h), prior to 1071. H /CT/A -PΩ/CI/C ("the crucifixion") The scene of "Staurosis "= the Crucifixion: at the center, Jesus Christ crucified; at the foot of the cross, the Virgin Mary standing on the left and St. John standing on the right; over the arms of the cross and flanking the head of Jesus Christ, sun and crescent. Rev. O / NI/K/O/ΛΑ/ΟC (St. Nicholas) - O MN O KAΛΛΙΚΕ[..] (St Menas the Kallikelados) / MHP-ΘY St. Nicholas at left and St. Menas at right, standing, facing; each raises a hand toward a medallion of Christ (or the Virgin?). Between the two saints, in the center of the upper field. Θ/KE B'/HΘEI TΩ C Δ, / MIX BE/CTAPX'/S XT TOY ΔP / XAPC' (Virgin Mary please aid your servant, Michael, vestarches, and chartoularios of Charsianon) in eight lines . Apparently unpublished but for a seal of the same officer, before his elevation to Vestarches, see: DO Seals 4, no. 40.5. Extremely unusual iconography on both sides! Linked to the family of the patriarch Michael Keroularios. Bang on the obverse, otherwise, very fine.


The iconography of the reverse of this seal is extremely uncommon and is related to the family of the Patriarch Michael Keroularios. According to Skoulatos, Personnages, 208-209, the owner of this seal has to be the nephew of Michael Keroularios, bearing the same name, and during the period of 1090-1109 held the position of the logothetes of the sekreta.