Stavraton of John V c. 1341 - 1391

Curator: Let's discuss this Stavraton of John V, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Its materiality and production offer a fascinating glimpse into Byzantine economics. Editor: It feels heavy with history, doesn't it? Almost like a tiny, portable echo of an empire. Curator: Absolutely, the silver content speaks directly to the monetary policies and available resources during John V's reign. We can infer a lot about trade routes and metallurgical practices. Editor: I love how something so small, just 8.58 grams, could symbolize so much power. It's like holding a little piece of the Byzantine dream...or perhaps, their anxieties. Curator: Precisely. The imagery, though worn, would have been carefully chosen for its symbolic weight within the Byzantine social fabric. Editor: Gazing at this, I'm wondering about the hands that exchanged it, the markets it passed through... Curator: Indeed, the journey of the material object highlights the vast network of production and consumption that constituted Byzantine society. Editor: It's incredible how the weight of silver can carry so many stories. Thanks for the insight! Curator: My pleasure. It is fascinating to see the importance of production for understanding its historical context.