Solidus of Justinian II (685-95)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Christ first appears on coins of Justinian II, shown as Pantokrator, Ruler of All. The Empire's gold coins set an artistic and monetary standard for the Mediterranean world throughout most of Byzantine history. By the middle Byzantine period, a ruler portrait appeared on one side, with a religious icon on the other. Inscriptions were in either Greek, the official language of the Empire, or Latin, its original official language. The images reflected the artistic currents of their times.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art