The combined Dumbarton Oaks and Fogg collection of Byzantine seals is one of the largest in the world, containing 17,000 specimens. Volume 5 in the catalogue includes seals with place names from the East, Constantinople and its environs, and seals with uncertain readings. Each section begins with a short essay on the region’s history. Each seal is illustrated and is accompanied—where appropriate—by full commentary regarding the specimen’s date, biographical information on its owner, peculiarities of orthography, and special features of iconography. These seals contribute significantly to historical geography, the evolution of the Byzantine imperial administration, development in the Greek language, and decorative vogues.
Authors
Eric McGeer taught Latin and history at St. Clement’s School in Toronto and is currently the consultant for Byzantine sigillography at Dumbarton Oaks.
John W. Nesbitt was Research Associate for Byzantine Sigillography at Dumbarton Oaks and was widely recognized as one of the world’s leading sigillographers.
Nikolaos Oikonomides (1934–2000) was a leading expert in the field of Byzantine administration and served as the chair of Byzantine history at the University of Montreal.