Weight in the Shape of a Byzantine Empress

Weight in the Shape of a Byzantine Empress

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portraits busts of Byzantine empresses were used for weights, thereby encouraging the public's belief in the state's ability to ensure fair and prosperous trade. The women here, whose elaborate jewels represented the wealth of the state, hold a mappa, an official symbol of imperial authority, or a scroll, reflecting the state's emphasis on learning.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Weight in the Shape of a Byzantine EmpressWeight in the Shape of a Byzantine EmpressWeight in the Shape of a Byzantine EmpressWeight in the Shape of a Byzantine EmpressWeight in the Shape of a Byzantine Empress

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.