Anonymous Follis c. 1085 - 1092

Curator: Here we have an Anonymous Follis from the Harvard Art Museums. It’s authorless, and we don’t know its exact date. Editor: It looks ancient, like something dredged up from the bottom of the sea! What kind of stories could it tell? Curator: Exactly! Though humble in size, these coins were crucial in Byzantine economic life. Their imagery carries a lot of weight. Editor: Definitely! The wear and tear feel like layers of history, each scratch and fade a whisper of past transactions, the rise and fall of fortunes, maybe even love affairs. Curator: That's a beautiful way to put it! This little disc, once clutched in someone's hand, now sits quietly, a link to a world so different and yet still so human. Editor: A tangible echo. Holding something like this really makes you feel the weight of time, doesn't it?