Coin of Herakleios c. 618 - 628

Curator: Here we have a Coin of Herakleios, made by Abd-al-Malik of the Umayyad dynasty. It's currently located in the Harvard Art Museums and weighs just over 7 grams. Editor: It feels ancient, doesn't it? So weathered and worn, like it's carrying centuries of stories etched into its surface. Curator: Indeed. These coins were crucial in asserting early Islamic power, adapting Byzantine coinage while gradually incorporating Arabic script and Islamic symbols. Editor: I find the face on one side quite haunting. There's a stillness, an almost unsettling serenity about it. Curator: Precisely. The initial designs borrowed heavily from Byzantine imagery to ease the transition for the local populations. Editor: So, it's a kind of visual bridge between cultures? A fascinating blend of old and new. Curator: Yes, using existing visual language to communicate a new political reality. Editor: Gives you a lot to think about, doesn't it? How power shifts and reshapes our world. Curator: Absolutely, it demonstrates the politics embedded even in mundane objects. Editor: It is an invitation to ponder the echoes of empires, whispered across time.