David Senacherim, protovestarches

David Senacherim, protovestarches, second third 11th century. Seal (Lead, 31 mm, 21.75 g, 11 h). Θ / Γ/Є-Ⲱ/P/Γ, Saint George standing facing, nimbate, holding spear in his right hand and resting his left on shield. Rev. +KЄ R,Θ, | ΔAΔ ΠPOT,|RЄCTAPX, | TⲰ C[Є]NA|[X]HPЄI[M] in five lines. Leu Web Auction 18 (2021), 4033. The second known seal of a member of the Armenian royal Senacherim family. Somewhat rough, otherwise, very fine.


From a European collection, acquired before 2021.

This is the second known seal of David, a member of the Senacherim family, the descendants of Senek’erim Yovhannes, the last Artsruni King of the small Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan, located to the south and southeast of Lake Van. Yovhannes was forced to cede his kingdom to the Byzantine Empire after he had made the unfortunate choice of joining the anti-Byzantine alliance of the Georgian king, Georgi I (998/1002-1027). As Werner Seibt showed, the former Armenian king himself is not attested on seals and neither is his eldest son (Dawit), but his wife Chususa and his sons, Atom, Aposachles and Constantine, all are. The sons bear high Byzantine court titles, giving evidence of their elevated status in the Byzantine aristocracy.

This seal of David Senacherim, protovestarches, cannot be attributed to Dawit/David, the eldest son Yovhannes, because he died in circa 1034/35, whereas our seal must be dated several decades later on stylistic grounds and because it mentions the dignity of protovestarches. It thus seems likely that our David was a nephew of David and a grandson of Yovhannes, who, like his uncles, entered into Byzantine service and bore an elevated court rank.

Leu Web 20 Lot 3139
15.07.2022