AR Julia Maesa 

Editor: Here we have a coin, AR Julia Maesa, from the Harvard Art Museums, depicting the Empress. I notice the lines of her coiffure, and the other side has a figure seated on a throne. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The formal elements suggest a deliberate construction of power. Note the profile portrait, a classical trope invoking authority. The reverse image reinforces this with a seated figure, possibly Vesta, or another goddess, connoting stability. Editor: So the composition itself is conveying a message? Curator: Precisely. The coin's medium, the circular form, and the incised details all contribute to a self-contained symbol of Roman imperial might. The damage to the coin also imparts a sense of temporality and the impermanence of power. Editor: That’s a fresh perspective that I hadn't considered. Curator: Indeed, the interplay between form and content is key to understanding this object.