★ A beautiful seal of great importance to Cypriote history ★

Eumathios Philokales, doux and nobellisimos on Cyprus, Last quarter 11th century. Seal (Lead, 23 mm, 8.00 g, 12 h). MHP ΘV Nimbate Mother of God “Episkepsis”, raising both hands in prayer, medallion of Christ in front. Rev. [CO]N Δ૪KA / [ΠI]CTON ЄV/[M]AΘION ΠAP/[ΘЄNЄ N]ⲰRЄΛΛI/[CI]MON TON ΦI/[ΛO]KAΛHN / [CK]ЄΠOIC ("Maiden, may you protect your faithful servant Eumathios Philokales, doux and nobellisimos") in seven lines. Cheynet, Istanbul 2.202. A beautiful seal of great importance to Cypriote history. Some marks and the reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, good very fine.

From an important collection of Roman and Byzantine seals, tesserae and amulets, formed before 2021.

In the 1090s, revolts broke out simultaneously on Crete and Cyprus. The uprising on Cyprus was led by a man named Rhapsomatos, who secured the support of most of the Byzantine forces stationed on the island. The revolt was quelled in 1093 by megas doux John Doukas, who subsequently sent Rhapsomatos into exile. Our seal’s owner, Eumathios Philokales, was appointed commander of Cyprus by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos with the title of stratopedarchos. Philokales served as doux of Cyprus twice more: from 1099 to 1102 as protonobelissimos (the date of our seal), and again from 1112 to 1118, having by then been promoted to sebastos.