Coin of Honorius, Barbaric Imitation 

Curator: Here we have a fascinating object—a "Coin of Honorius, Barbaric Imitation" from the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks…rough. Almost primal. Like someone tried to capture power and wealth, but the execution is off-kilter. There's a raw energy there. Curator: Indeed. The term "barbaric imitation" speaks volumes. It's not just about the visual representation. It highlights a cultural exchange, or perhaps a cultural appropriation, where the original Roman design is reinterpreted through a different lens. Editor: It feels like a whisper of Rome echoing in a distant land. Someone longing for the grandeur they once knew, but only able to grasp at fragments. Curator: The crudeness, the almost haphazard depiction of Honorius, invites us to reconsider the idea of authenticity and value. Its deviation from the Roman ideal is, in itself, its significance. Editor: It’s proof, I think, that art—even in its humblest, most "imperfect" form—speaks across time. Curator: A poignant reminder of how empires fade, and how cultures transform.