Gold, Silver and Bronze in Byzantium
Discover Byzantium – the once-great empire whose glittering capital was the city of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul )- through this intriguing exploration of its coinage and economy. Constantinople’s majesty astounded visitors from across the medieval world.
However, the Byzantine empire was eclipsed in popular imagination by its earlier Roman incarnation and the glory of its Ottoman successor – and its significance is even today still re-emerging. The Barber’s collection of Byzantine coins is the most important in Europe in size and importance, and this exhibition reveals the artistic beauty of Byzantium’s gold coins, the surprising life-cycle of its silver coins and the curiosities of its bronze.
There is a coinciding exhibition Excavating Empire: David Talbot Rice and the Rediscovery of Byzantium in the Green Gallery’s Print Bay. Read more here.