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Source Description
In the Middle Ages, letters were usually rolled in a scroll and tied with a cord. Lead seals like the present one originally held these cords together so that they could not be tempered with. The versified inscription here identifies the owner of the seal (and the author of the piece of correspondence to which it was attached) as one Michael Boilas, sebastos (an honorific title). The obverse carries an image of his namesake and heavenly protector, the Archangel Michael. Cf. Walters 55.95 and 55.96.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
19482
label
Seal of the Sebastos Michael Boilas
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
19482
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Seal of the Sebastos Michael Boilas
description
In the Middle Ages, letters were usually rolled in a scroll and tied with a cord. Lead seals like the present one originally held these cords together so that they could not be tempered with. The versified inscription here identifies the owner of the seal (and the author of the piece of correspondence to which it was attached) as one Michael Boilas, sebastos (an honorific title). The obverse carries an image of his namesake and heavenly protector, the Archangel Michael. Cf. Walters 55.95 and 55.96.
provenance
Henry Walters, New York, [date of acquisition unknown] by purchase; Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931, by inheritance; Joseph Brummer, New York, by purchase; Douglas Gordon, Baltimore, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1942, by gift.
date
11th century (Medieval)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Metal
seals (artifacts)
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
1 7/16 in. (3.6 cm)
Source extras
cul
Byzantine
RelatedObjects
35868
34853
med
lead
creator_ids
6640
collection_ids
BYZ
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
9568cc0a268ad657