GALLERY 47:


BYZANTINE, EARLY CHRISTIAN AND MEDIEVAL ART

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4779. A FINE ROMANESQUE MARBLE LINTEL, ca. 9th-12th century. The piece carved with a lion holding a serpent in his mouth, a male head above. 5.5 x 10.5 x 19 inches. Excellent condition. Extremely rare. Free standing.



4639. AN OSTROGOTHIC SILVER BUCKLE Circa first half of the 7th century A.D. With a kidney-shaped loop, the hooked tongue in the form of a stylized bird head, the eyes in relief, both elements hinged to the rectangular plate, a stylized lion in relief on the plate, with knobbed rivets at each corner, framed by a raised double border. Leather is still preserved in between front and back plates. 2.25 x 4.75 inches. For similar buckles with leonine motifs, see p. 206 in Materials in Archeology, History and Ethnography of Tauria, vol. 1. The almost identical buckle was estimated at Christie's Antiquities, June 1999, lot #171, for $3,000 – 5,000.



4640. A PAIR OF OSTROGOTHIC SILVER FIBULAE, circa 6th c. A. D. Each cast with a semi-circular head plate with three projecting knobs, with an arching bow and lozenge shaped foot, with scrolling on the head plate and flat terminal. 1.5 x 2.75 inches. One pin preserved. For a similar pair, see Christies' Antiquities, June 1999, lot #169; also A. Aibabin, Ethnischegeschichte der Fruhbyzantinischen Krim, 1999, table 25.



4641. AN UNUSUAL MIGRATION PERIOD FRAMED GLASS FLASK, ca. 4th-6th century AD. The small glass vial within a frame of bronze bands with suspension loops and black glass? lid. 2.3 x 1.3 inches. Two small holes in glass. Very rare and deserving of further study.



4642. A BYZANTINE OIL LAMP WITH INCISED CROSS, ca. 5th-7th century AD. With remains of red glaze, the cross incised after the manufacture by an early Christian owner. 3 x 2.25 inches. Lime deposits.



4643. A BYZANTINE REDWARE OINOCHOE, ca. 5th-7th century AD. The pitcher of heavy thick fabric with pinched spout and heavy strap handle, the body decorated with bands of white. 8.9 x 7.5 inches.



4644. A BYZANTINE BLACKWARE PLATE, ca. 4th-5th century AD. The plate with burnished black surface with pressed cruciform seal designs within incised ring. 10 x 1.6 inches.



4645. A BYZANTINE SILVER RING, ca. 4th –7th century AD. The ring with glass inlay in a box setting. 28 mm.



4646. A BYZANTINE BRONZE RING WITH INSCRIPTION, ca. 5th –7th century AD. The ring with three line Greek inscription on the bezel. 1.1 inches.



4647. A BYZANTINE SILVER CROSS, ca. 7th-9th century AD. 0.8 inches. Wearable with intact suspension loop.



4648. A BYZANTINE BRONZE CROSS, ca. 7th-9th century AD. ~1 inch. Wearable with intact suspension loop.



4649. A BYZANTINE BRONZE CROSS, ca. 7th-9th century AD. ~1 inch. Wearable with intact suspension loop.



4650. A BYZANTINE BRONZE CROSS, ca. 7th-9th century AD. ~1 inch. Wearable with intact suspension loop.



4651. A BYZANTINE BRONZE CROSS, ca. 7th-9th century AD. 0.75 inch. Suspension loop broken.



4652. A BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL, Obv. Patriarchal cross on three steps with rising on either side and above the first arm. Along the border of dots, circular inscription: +KeROHqeI... Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. wAN | HR`A`CP | qSCTPA | HGwCe | PCwN, K(uri)e boJhi [tvsv donlw¢I]wannh b(asilikv) (prwto)sp[a]q(ariw) (kai) stra[t]hgv cÎrvn(oz) (Lord, help your servant Joanne, imperial protospatharios and stratig of Cherson) ? c. Unpublished. One similar seal published by J. Nesbitt and N. Oikonomides. Catalogue of Byzantine seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art. Washington, 1991, v. 1, p. 188, #82-15.



4653. A BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL, Obv. Patriarchial cross on four steps. Along the border of dots, circular inscription: +K`e`ROHqeTw...DOVLw Rev. Inscription of four lines followed by a pellet decoration. Border of dots. +RACYLI | wR`A`CPAq` | SGeNHK`L`| OGOq eT` | K(uri)e bohqh tv[sv] donlw Batiliw b(asilikv) (proto)spaq(ariw¢) (kai) genhk(ou) lo¢goqe¢t(on) (Lord, help your servant Vasili, imperial protospatharios and archi logophet) X c.



4654. A BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL, Obv. Bust of St. Basil of Cesaria blessing (r. hand) and holding codex (l. hand). Vertical inscription: q | RA | CI | - L, ¢Oa(gioz) Basil(eioz) Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. GHPOM | OSHPA? | OYCBOte | MYBACHLI | eBH (Lord, help your servant Vasili). XI – XII cc. The seal belongs to Vladimir Monomakh, the Grand Duke, the grandson of Yaroslav Mudryi (Yaroslav the Wise). V.L.Tanin. Medieval Russian pendant seals of X-XV c., v. III, #98-2.



4655. A BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL, Obv. Patriarchial cross on four steps with rising on either side and above the first arm. Along the border of dots, circular inscription: KeRO[HqeITwCwDOuL`]: K(ori)ero[hqeitvsv doul(v)] Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots: .wN | ,. ANTIN | . R`A`CPA | .`SCTPA | ..ePC`: [K]wn[st]an¢tinw b(asilikv) (prwto)spa[q](ariw) (kai) qtra[d](hgv) [C]ers(vnoz) (Lord, help your servant Konstantine, imperial protospatharios and stratig of Cherson). XI c. Schlumberger G. Sceaux Byzantin inedits. RN, 1916, Ser. 4, v. 20, p. 35, #305.



4656. A BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL, Obv. A cross within a cruciform frame adorned by pellets at each end with rising on either side and above the first arm. Along the border of dots, circular inscription: ….TwCwDOVLw: [K(nri)e bohqei]tv sv donLv Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots: +NIKI | TAPATP | K`R`A`CPA | S GeNIK` | LOGO (Lord, help your servant Nikita, patrikios, imperial protospatharios and archi logophet). X c.



4657. A BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL, Obv. Patriarchal cross on three steps. Circular inscription beginning at 12 o'clock between a double border of dots: +KeROHqHTwCwDOVL Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. +NIKH | FOPwR.A. | CPAqAPHw | SCTPATHG | XePCwNO (Lord, help your servant Nikiphor, imperial protospatharios and stratig of Cherson). X c. J.Nesbitt and N.Oikonomides. Catalogue of Byzantine seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art. Washington, 1991, v. 1, p. 188, #82-20.



4658. A BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL, Obv. Patriarchal cross on four steps. Circular inscription beginning at 7 o'clock between two borders of dots: +KeROHqeITwCwDOVLw Rev. Inscription of four lines preceded by decoration. Border of dots. … | +MIXA | HLR`A`CPA | qISGeNI | LOGOq (Lord, help your servant Michail, imperial protospatharios and archi logophet). X c.




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