Seal of Latin Emperor Henry of Flanders (Reverse Side)
1 media/ReverseSide-min_thumb.png 2022-11-08T10:03:13-08:00 Alexandra Berardelli 2e7f52c6d0d6708f55aaffea40a636e971dfc614 39447 1 Seal of Latin Emperor Henry of Flanders, 1206-1216. Lead. Dumbarton Oaks BZS.1958.106.636. © Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, Washington, DC. plain 2022-11-08T10:03:14-08:00 Alexandra Berardelli 2e7f52c6d0d6708f55aaffea40a636e971dfc614This page is referenced by:
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2022-10-30T16:29:58-07:00
Seal of Latin Emperor Henry of Flanders (DO BZS.1958.106.636)
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2022-11-20T09:15:18-08:00
41.03088613850273, 28.980563018227038
By Alexandra Berardelli '25
The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) destroyed the Byzantine Empire, based in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) and founded the Latin Empire. This seal belonged to the second Latin Emperor, Henry of Flanders who ruled the Latin Empire in Constantinople from 1206 to 1216. If you received a document with this seal, you would understand the emperor’s authority in the Crusader world.
This seal was used for protecting and authenticating imperial documents. On each side there are religious and military imagery and inscriptions that work together to portray the emperor's authority over his empire and the Crusades. -
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Why was this made and how was it used?
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2022-12-21T06:46:05-08:00
The seal of the Emperor Henry of Flanders authenticated imperial documents. It was used as we today use a signature on financial and legal documents. However, it is also a visual characterization of the individual it represents. The emperor's religious authority is displayed on the obverse side, where we see Henry as an enthroned figure, and his military expertise is highlighted on the reverse side, where we see him as a warrior on horseback.
Seals have been used for millennia, long before the crusades began. From the ancient world to the crusader period and beyond, seals have been used to authenticate documents, to prove to the recipient and to a wider audience that the attached document is the true and legal word of whoever sent it. Interestingly, a seal actually has no authority by itself -- its authority comes from a society who recognize the validity of seals.
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What is this?
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2022-11-18T18:50:11-08:00
This is the seal of the second Latin Emperor of Constantinople, Henry of Flanders, who ruled from 1206 to 1216. This circular lead seal has two sides, with varied images and inscriptions on each respective side. On the obverse side of the seal, there is a central image of the emperor with a complimentary circular inscription. The inscription, found between a double border of dots, reads in Greek, “ερρικοσδεσποτης.” This translates into English as, “Henry, despotes,” meaning someone of great power, like an emperor. In the center, you can see the emperor, sitting on a throne, which is decorated with animal heads, probably lions. The emperor wears imperial garments and a crown. Of the two images on the seals, this one is connected to the religious characteristics of Emperor Henry’s power. In his right hand, he holds a scepter with a cross on top of it, and in his left, he holds a globus cruciger, also known as ‘the orb and cross,’ which is another symbol of religious influence.
There is a similar format on the reverse side of the seal. On this side, there is another circular inscription between a double border of dots, this time reading in Latin, “Henricus Dei gratia inperator Romanie.” This translates into English as, “Henry, by the Grace of God, emperor of the Roman realm.” The image still depicts the emperor, but this time in a militaristic stance. Here, the emperor, wearing armor, is on horseback facing the right side. He holds a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. He looks very chivalric and successful as he is in motion on horseback, quite possibly fighting for his empire and during the Crusades.
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What does this tell us about the Crusades?
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Even though this seal is relatively small and would only be used on documents, it still takes on particular importance in the greater context of the Crusades. First, the religious connections promote a sense of divine authority for the emperor, as evident in the image on the obverse side and the inscription on the reverse side. Throughout the previous Byzantine empire and the newly founded Latin empire, the emperor was the ultimate authority in the eyes of God. Seals such as this would authenticate imperial documents and function as divine legitimization. And so, when Emperor Henry of Flanders participated in the Crusades, his motives and actions would be validated through his religious connections.
The imagery on the reverse side of the seal connects to the emperor’s military skill, which would be entirely necessary while embarking on the Crusades. This side of the seal also connects visually to one of the Chertsey Tiles, which shows Richard the Lionheart with the surrounding text. Richard’s tile roundel is very similar to the reverse side of this seal: in both cases, we see an armed ruler mounted on horseback, carrying a shield, presumably heading into battle. This kind of imagery was prevalent on seals, and it may be that Richard’s tile drew on a similar image of Richard himself mounted and armed on his own seal. Another similarity is that both Henry’s seal and Richard’s tile are surrounded with Latin text stating their title “by the grace of God.”
The connections to Crusader heroes, like Richard the Lionheart, and Emperor Henry’s own imagery on his seal allow the Emperor to describe himself, by means of his seal, as a divinely-approved ruler and successful military hero, which would be quite attractive qualities for a leader during the Crusades.