Coin of Manuel I c. 12th century

Curator: This is a coin minted by Manuel I, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Its worn surfaces hint at both the passage of time and its use as currency. Editor: I notice the way the designs are pressed into the metal, the bas-relief figures have a certain symbolic weight. Curator: These Byzantine coins were crucial for imperial messaging. The imagery was carefully designed to project power and legitimacy. Editor: The images are so stylized and flattened; it seems the form embodies a distinct symbolic language, a code. Curator: Exactly. Each element—the emperor’s attire, the religious symbols—communicated aspects of his reign and divine mandate. This coin reminds us that art is never truly detached from its social and political context. Editor: I find myself drawn to the interplay of the surface and the worn details; they add an intriguing textural component. Curator: It speaks to its journey through hands and history. Editor: Indeed, both materially and figuratively.