The combined Dumbarton Oaks and Fogg collection of Byzantine seals is one of the largest in the world, containing 17,000 specimens. Volume 6 in the catalogue presents the seals of emperors and patriarchs of Constantinople. Imperial seals are presented in conjunction with a representative coin of the appropriate emperor or empress to help the reader compare the iconography. Also included are select seals from patriarchs of Constantinople. More than 250 seals are illustrated and accompanied—where appropriate—by a full commentary regarding each specimen’s date, biographical information on its owner, peculiarities of orthography, and iconographic features. These seals contribute significantly to historical geography, the evolution of the Byzantine imperial administration, development in the Greek language, and decorative vogues.

John Nesbitt is Research Associate for Byzantine Sigillography at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.

Cecile Morrisson is Advisor for Byzantine Numismatics at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.

Read More by John Nesbitt:

• Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, 1, Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Seas
• Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, 2, South of the Balkans, the Islands, South of Asia Minor
• Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, 3, West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient
• Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, 4, The East
• Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, 5, The East (continued): Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings

Read More by Cecile Morrisson:

• Dumbarton Oaks: The Collections
• Dumbarton Oaks Papers 63