Coin of Constantine VII c. 945 - 959

Editor: This is a bronze coin minted under Constantine VII, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It has a beautiful aged patina. What strikes me is how the design, though worn, maintains a structured symmetry. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The surface degradation is significant. The formal elements of line and shape—observe the deliberate circularity countered by the internal cruciform—create a visual tension. How does this tension inform your understanding? Editor: It emphasizes the contrast between the ideal of imperial power and the realities of its decay, perhaps? Curator: Precisely. The coin's materiality speaks to its history, while the design reflects the emperor's aspirations. Editor: So, form and decay, ambition and reality intertwined. It's more eloquent than I initially thought. Curator: Indeed. The aesthetic qualities and physical state offer complex insights.