The Iconography of the Composition on the Seal of Constantine Mesopotamites (Worshippers’ Images in Byzantine Sigillography)

Although there are a very few images of ktetor's portraits in Byzantine sigillography known so far, this scene is widely represented in monumental painting (frescoes of Kastoria and Cappadocia, and Sicilian mosaics) and applied art. Today there are three seal-owner’s images: of Prince Oleg-Michael of Tmutorokan, monk Joseph of St. Patriarch Tarasios Monastery in Constantinople, and the one to be published here, of Metropolitan Constantine Mesopotamites of Thessalonike (1198). The seal represents Constantine giving proskynesis to his patron St. Demetrius of Thessalonike. The seal-matrices were made in Constantinople in relation to Constantine ascension to bishop’s seem at Thessalonike. This iconography is known as early as the fifth century (ivory diptych from the Victoria and Albert Museum), and from the ninth century (the Trebizond gospel) to the fourteenth century (the Urbino gonfalon) or to the fifteenth century (the Palaiologean numismatics). The Christian tradition uses the proskynesis in the monumental painting and applied arts, seal matrices in particular, as the customer’s subjective, personal repentance before the Lord or a saint, or his/her praying for justification and patronage. In monumental painting and applied art, seal-matrices in particular, the image of ktetors giving proskynesis reflected personal and subjective repentance of the owner and his/her petition for divine patronage.