Tetradrachm of Alexandria under Probus c. 280 - 281

Editor: This is a Tetradrachm of Alexandria under Probus from the Harvard Art Museums. The wear and patina are quite striking! What do you see in the textures and forms? Curator: The coin's eroded surface disrupts the legibility of its figural elements, rendering the portrayed figure as an almost abstract interplay of concave and convex forms. Note how the incuse areas on one side are now green. Editor: So, the material's degradation becomes part of its aesthetic? Curator: Precisely. The formal qualities—the coin's shape, the relief's degradation, and the altered coloration—become intrinsic to its visual impact, irrespective of its original intended representation. Editor: Fascinating. I never considered how decay could be an aesthetic element. Curator: By focusing on these formal aspects, we appreciate the object as a composition of textures and shapes, rather than solely as a historical artifact.