Coin of Herakleios c. 610 - 613

Curator: Abd-al-Malik of the Umayyads, without fixing a date, crafted this gold coin. It’s currently part of the Harvard Art Museums collection and weighs a mere 4.48 grams. Editor: What strikes me immediately is the bold simplicity. The relief is shallow, almost flattened, giving it a timeless quality. The gold has a certain luster that seems to both absorb and reflect light. Curator: Absolutely. The portrait clearly references Byzantine iconography, but look closely. The deliberate alteration of symbols, particularly the Arabic inscription, signals a shift in power and religious authority. Editor: The cross on the steps—a fascinating image. It acts as both a visual declaration and a marker of cultural transition, doesn't it? The artist is layering religious symbols and playing with their established meanings. Curator: Precisely! It is a potent message encoded in precious metal. The design of the coin itself carries an enormous historical and cultural weight. Editor: Seeing the coin in this light enriches my experience. It's more than just currency, it’s a statement! Curator: Indeed. Considering its aesthetic qualities, one can't ignore the narrative power, that it encapsulates history.