Some Interesting Rarities from the Collection of Zafeiris Syrras

The private collection of Zafeiris Syrras is internationally recognized as one of the most important private holdings of Byzantine lead seals. Its significance lies not only in the sheer number of objects but also in the high quality of preservation and the considerable historical and archaeological value of many of the specimens. The formation of the collection began in March 2003, when Zafeiris Syrras first turned his attention to Byzantine Sigillography. Since then, the collection has expanded steadily and now comprises close to more than one thousand seals, making it one of the three largest private collections of its kind worldwide. The material here has been selected with the aim of illustrating the collection’s scope and its potential contribution to sigillographic research. The chosen specimens demonstrate both the variety of typological forms and the richness of the historical, prosopographical and archaeological information conveyed by Byzantine seals, which serve simultaneously as objects of art, instruments of administration, and testimonies of political and ecclesiastical authority of the empire