Anonymous Follis c. 1042 - 1050

Curator: Here we have an Anonymous Follis, a Byzantine coin, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums and weighing just over 9 grams. It's incredibly tactile. Editor: It looks very worn, but there's a solemn dignity to it. You can feel the weight of history in its appearance. Curator: The coin's material is bronze. Consider the labor: the mining, smelting, and then the detailed die-striking to create the imagery. What a journey for this small object! Editor: Absolutely. And consider its circulation, the hands it passed through! It speaks to the political and religious power structures of the Byzantine Empire, their reach and influence made manifest in everyday currency. Curator: Precisely. The iconography itself, the depiction of Christ, and the inscriptions—they all served as propaganda, reinforcing the emperor's authority. Editor: It's a tangible link to a complex past, isn’t it? Reflecting power, belief, and daily life. Curator: Indeed. The object's materiality and design intersect with social and political currents, providing a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era. Editor: A small but mighty artifact, really.