AR Probus 277 - 282

Curator: This is AR Probus, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Its dimensions are quite modest, registering at just 3.49 grams. Editor: It has the weight of history though, doesn’t it? A tangible link to the past, worn smooth by time and use. Curator: Indeed. The obverse depicts a portrait, presumably of Probus himself, while the reverse showcases a figure in what appears to be a chariot or seated conveyance. The composition directs our gaze to these central figures. Editor: I’m struck by the ambiguity actually. The corrosion and wear almost liberate the images from their original intent. It becomes more about texture, the interplay of light and shadow on a tiny, portable sculpture. Curator: One could certainly interpret the entropy as a commentary on the transience of power and the inevitable decay of material culture. Editor: Or maybe it's a reminder that even emperors end up as pocket change. Curator: A droll assessment, but apt. Still, the very survival of this artifact speaks to the enduring human impulse to create and commemorate. Editor: And to collect. It's easy to forget the human hands involved in making such a small object, even today. Makes you think.