Copper-Alloy Balance Weight with Figures in an Architectural Setting

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Symbols and people are often depicted within an architectural setting on Byzantine weights. Under an arcaded ceiling on this three-ounce weight are two imperial bust portraits and a standing figure between them. This figure, partially worn away, is most likely an angel or a winged victory. In Byzantium, precise measurement of goods was achieved by a set of standard balance weights.

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