Byzantine Beautiful Seal with Portrait of Christ – Rare Christian Metalwork – Exceptional Collector’s Piece – (No reserve price)
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Current bid
€ 30
No reserve price
Expert
Selected by Ruth Garrido Vila
Directed the Ifergan Collection Museum, specialising in Phoenician and Mediterranean archaeology.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
 | €30 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €25 | |
| €19 | |
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Byzantine seal with a portrait of Christ, a rare metalwork from the 10th–12th century in excellent condition, measuring about 16.05 × 16.14 mm and weighing 12.25 g, acquired from Germany in 1996 from a private collection.
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Description from the seller
A piece of the past, made to be worn
Beautiful Byzantine Seal with Portrait of Christ – Rare Christian Metalwork – Exceptional Collector’s Piece – ca. 10th–12th Century AD
Object Type: Seal / Stamp with Loop Handle
Culture: Byzantine / Eastern Christian
Period: Middle Byzantine, ca. 10th–12th Century AD
Material: Metal Alloy
Technique: Cast and Hand-Finished; Relief / Intaglio Seal Decoration
Form: Circular Seal Face with Large Loop Handle
Decoration: Figural Christological Composition
Iconographic Context: Christ – Christos Pantokrator Tradition
Religious Context: Byzantine Christian Devotional and Sigillographic Tradition
-Cultural and Iconographic Assessment Certificate: available upon request before shipment (PDF format)
-All shipments are sent fully insured
-During photography, a warm-toned lighting setup reminiscent of museum display illumination was used to emphasize the object's surface details and historic character in a natural manner.
Dimensions:
H: 16.05 mm ±
W: 16.14 mm ±
Weight: 12.25 g ±
Description
This remarkable Byzantine metal-alloy seal combines a substantial loop handle with a circular matrix bearing a figural Christian composition. The principal image preserves the characteristic frontal arrangement associated with Byzantine representations of Christ, placing the object within the broader Christological and sigillographic tradition of the Middle Byzantine world.
Christ (Christos) occupied a central position on Byzantine seals, medallions and devotional objects. Comparable Middle Byzantine museum pieces preserve Christ within circular fields, frequently employing the sacred visual vocabulary of the nimbus cruciger, IC XC and Christos Pantokrator. The British Museum preserves a 10th–12th-century seal depicting Christ, while an 11th-century Christ medallion in Dumbarton Oaks demonstrates the closely related portrait tradition.
The prominent loop, compact matrix and surviving relief give the piece an exceptionally sculptural character. Its extensive patination, mineral encrustation and still-legible sacred imagery preserve a compelling archaeological presence, making it a beautiful and particularly distinctive collector’s piece of Byzantine Christian metalwork.
Information
The offered object was acquired in 2026 through an auction associated with A.N. Auction House in Germany and was transferred to us in 2026 by its previous owner, N.A., based in the Netherlands.
The object has been documented using high-resolution equipment; no intervention has been made to its form or structural integrity, and only limited color-balance adjustment has been applied.
Upon request, museum-standard technical photographs may be provided during the auction; if requested prior to shipment, an expert report and a signed ownership document issued in the buyer’s name can be supplied in PDF format within 3–5 business days.
Statements regarding dating, function, symbolic interpretation, and material identification represent high-probability academic assessments based on typological comparisons, parallels in museum collections, and expert opinion; definitive conclusions require advanced laboratory analysis and fall outside the scope of the platform’s sales process.
Prospective buyers are advised to evaluate the images in conjunction with the stated measurements, as high-resolution photography may influence perceived scale. Throughout the presentation and sales process, principles of scholarly consistency, transparency, and good faith are observed, and no object is knowingly offered as a copy or imitation.
A piece of the past, made to be worn
Beautiful Byzantine Seal with Portrait of Christ – Rare Christian Metalwork – Exceptional Collector’s Piece – ca. 10th–12th Century AD
Object Type: Seal / Stamp with Loop Handle
Culture: Byzantine / Eastern Christian
Period: Middle Byzantine, ca. 10th–12th Century AD
Material: Metal Alloy
Technique: Cast and Hand-Finished; Relief / Intaglio Seal Decoration
Form: Circular Seal Face with Large Loop Handle
Decoration: Figural Christological Composition
Iconographic Context: Christ – Christos Pantokrator Tradition
Religious Context: Byzantine Christian Devotional and Sigillographic Tradition
-Cultural and Iconographic Assessment Certificate: available upon request before shipment (PDF format)
-All shipments are sent fully insured
-During photography, a warm-toned lighting setup reminiscent of museum display illumination was used to emphasize the object's surface details and historic character in a natural manner.
Dimensions:
H: 16.05 mm ±
W: 16.14 mm ±
Weight: 12.25 g ±
Description
This remarkable Byzantine metal-alloy seal combines a substantial loop handle with a circular matrix bearing a figural Christian composition. The principal image preserves the characteristic frontal arrangement associated with Byzantine representations of Christ, placing the object within the broader Christological and sigillographic tradition of the Middle Byzantine world.
Christ (Christos) occupied a central position on Byzantine seals, medallions and devotional objects. Comparable Middle Byzantine museum pieces preserve Christ within circular fields, frequently employing the sacred visual vocabulary of the nimbus cruciger, IC XC and Christos Pantokrator. The British Museum preserves a 10th–12th-century seal depicting Christ, while an 11th-century Christ medallion in Dumbarton Oaks demonstrates the closely related portrait tradition.
The prominent loop, compact matrix and surviving relief give the piece an exceptionally sculptural character. Its extensive patination, mineral encrustation and still-legible sacred imagery preserve a compelling archaeological presence, making it a beautiful and particularly distinctive collector’s piece of Byzantine Christian metalwork.
Information
The offered object was acquired in 2026 through an auction associated with A.N. Auction House in Germany and was transferred to us in 2026 by its previous owner, N.A., based in the Netherlands.
The object has been documented using high-resolution equipment; no intervention has been made to its form or structural integrity, and only limited color-balance adjustment has been applied.
Upon request, museum-standard technical photographs may be provided during the auction; if requested prior to shipment, an expert report and a signed ownership document issued in the buyer’s name can be supplied in PDF format within 3–5 business days.
Statements regarding dating, function, symbolic interpretation, and material identification represent high-probability academic assessments based on typological comparisons, parallels in museum collections, and expert opinion; definitive conclusions require advanced laboratory analysis and fall outside the scope of the platform’s sales process.
Prospective buyers are advised to evaluate the images in conjunction with the stated measurements, as high-resolution photography may influence perceived scale. Throughout the presentation and sales process, principles of scholarly consistency, transparency, and good faith are observed, and no object is knowingly offered as a copy or imitation.
Details
Culture
Byzantine
Century/timeframe
ca. 10th–12th Century AD
Name of object
Beautiful Seal with Portrait of Christ – Rare Christian Metalwork – Exceptional Collector’s Piece –
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
1996
Country acquired from
Germany
Condition
Excellent
Previous owner acquired from
Antique market
Previous owner - year acquired
2026
Previous owner - country acquired from
Germany
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
