No 38D

Location: On the southeast column in the east exedra of the south gallery.

Material: Marble surface, 6th century.

Dimensions: 20 cm (height) by 20 cm (width), at eye level.

Condition: Likely incised; not intersected by other marks.

Technique: Incised.

Description: A contour drawing of a bird in profile with an elongated body and extended wings in horizontal position. The long, slightly curved neck leads to a small head with a pointed beak, while the legs are thin and schematic. The stylization emphasizes the wingspan and the overall horizontal composition, suggesting the bird in flight.

Аttribution: A seabird, most likely a gull or cormorant.

Publications: none.

Commentary: The simplified but expressive rendering points towards a seabird. The elongated proportions and sharp beak resemble a gull (Larus cachinnans, Caspian gull), common in the Black Sea region. Another possible identification is a cormorant, a bird closely associated with coastal areas. Both species are familiar to seafarers and hold symbolic meaning: the gull as a messenger of land and freedom of travel, the cormorant as a watchful, enduring creature. In the context of a church or monumental setting, such bird imagery may have been connected with ideas of vigilance, hope, or spiritual journey.

Date: 13th–15th century AD?