Aspron Trachy Nomisma of Manuel I, Constantinople 1160 - 1164

Editor: This is the Aspron Trachy Nomisma of Manuel I from Constantinople. It's a rather worn coin from the Harvard Art Museums collection. What do you see in this little window into the past? Curator: It's a tangible link to Byzantine power. I imagine the hands it passed through, the stories it could tell. Do you think the wear and tear adds or detracts from the piece? Editor: Hmm, it makes it feel more real, less like a pristine museum piece. I guess that patina whispers its history. Curator: Precisely! It's a small object, yet it embodies the vastness of time. I love how an object can carry such weight. Editor: Me too! It really puts things into perspective.