Anonymous Follis c. 1050 - 1060

Curator: This is an Anonymous Follis, a coin residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. What do you see first when you look at it? Editor: Its worn texture speaks of use and exchange, embodying a history of labor and economic interaction. Curator: Precisely! The obverse depicts Christ enthroned, while the reverse bears an inscription. Notice how the composition divides the coin into distinct zones. Editor: The iconographic symbolism merges with the material reality. How did its production influence Byzantine trade networks? Curator: Its standardization aided that trade. One could focus on the visual elements—the figure, the script—or consider how its materiality shaped social practices. Editor: Exactly. Both the aesthetic and the socioeconomic dimensions inform our understanding. Curator: Indeed, a fascinating interplay between form and function. Editor: A small object with large implications.