Follis of the Emperor Maurice Tiberius, Constantinople 

This Follis was struck in Constantinople during the reign of Maurice Tiberius, and I really like the way the artist’s hand has played its part in the design. The metal is worn smooth, and it’s not possible to see what kind of tools were used to strike the metal, but the effect is lovely. Patches of green and red on the surface make it look like a watercolour painting - there's something accidental about the colouration that suggests it was made through a process of transformation over time. Look closely and you can see the face of the Emperor, but the image is so worn that it's almost as if he's emerging from the metal. It's like the material is trying to take him back, which reminds me of some of the paintings of Anselm Kiefer, where figures disappear into thick layers of paint. It's a reminder that everything changes, and even Emperors turn to dust.