Dinar of Kumarawayh, Misr 886 - 887

Editor: Here we have a gold Dinar of Khumarawayh from Misr, in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. What I find particularly interesting is the material itself, the gold. What does its materiality tell us? Curator: Gold signifies power and wealth, but consider also the labor involved in its extraction and the processes required to mint it. The inscription, too, speaks to the socio-political context of its production and circulation. How did this object function within the economy of its time? Editor: So it's not just about beauty, but about the systems of labor and trade behind it? Curator: Precisely. By examining the materials and their transformation, we uncover the complex networks of power and production that shaped this object's creation and value. Editor: That's a fascinating perspective, thank you for opening my eyes to this.