One-Eighth Stavraton of Manuel II c. 1391 - 1425

Curator: Let’s discuss this diminutive One-Eighth Stavraton of Manuel II, currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums, and weighing less than a gram. Editor: It has a weathered look, doesn't it? Giving it a sense of history worn right into its surface. Curator: Indeed. The low relief and compact design exemplify the economic constraints of the late Byzantine era. Notice the iconography, though—the controlled symmetry attempts to communicate power. Editor: But what about the power structures that this coin enforced? Currency is never neutral. How did its circulation affect the economic disparities of the time? Curator: These are interesting considerations, but I’m struck by the abstraction of form present in the emperor's portrait. It speaks volumes about the artistic conventions governing imperial representation. Editor: It's a potent reminder that even the smallest objects can carry significant weight, both literally and figuratively. Curator: Quite so. It's fascinating how such a small object can provoke such different lines of inquiry.