The Religious Figural Imagery of Byzantine Lead Seals I - 9780367346966

Taylor & Francis

The articles republished in this volume are ground-breaking studies that employ a large body of religious figural imagery of Byzantine lead seals ranging from the 6th to the 15th century. A number of the studies present tables, charts and graphs in their analysis of iconographic trends and changing popularity of saintly figures over time. And since many of the seals bear inscriptions that include the names, titles or offices of their owners, information often not given for the patrons of sacred images in other media, these diminutive objects permit an investigation into the social use of sacred imagery through the various sectors of Byzantine culture: the civil, ecclesiastical and military administrations. The religious figural imagery of the lead seals, accompanied by their owners\u2019 identifying inscriptions, offers a means of investigating both the broader visual piety of the Byzantine world and the intimate realm of their owners\u2019 personal devotions. Other studies in this v.