Object Stories
Experimental templates for art
I am a coin. I go by Solidus of Michael III and Theodora, Constantinople. I was created in 843 (?) -856 CE in Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe, Constantinople (Thrace). Michael III, Augusta Theodora played a pivotal role in my creation. I stand as a testament to the prosperity of the Byzantine culture in the Byzantine period, Early. I’m made of Gold in the technique of Struck. I weigh 4.42 g and I was worth a solidus. On the obverse side, my design captures: Bust of Christ (Type Vc) facing, bearded, with cross behind head, wearing tunic and himation; r. hand raised in gesture of blessing in front of body, l. hand holding a book from beneath. The reverse side depicts: Two busts facing, Michael on l., bearded, wearing chlamys and crown with cross; Theodora on r., larger, wearing loros and crown with pendilia, two pinnacles and cross. Above, cross.
I came into the collection of the Harvard Art Museums in 1951, andI am now part of the Asian and Mediterranean Art in my new home. I’m very popular, as more than 2 people have talked about me in their publications.
{
"id": 168614,
"objectid": 168614,
"objectnumber": "1951.31.4.1209",
"accessionyear": 1951,
"dated": "843 (?) -856 CE",
"datebegin": 843,
"dateend": 856,
"classification": "Coins",
"classificationid": 50,
"medium": "Gold",
"technique": "Struck",
"techniqueid": 7320,
"period": "Byzantine period, Early",
"periodid": 1793,
"century": "9th century",
"culture": "Byzantine",
"style": null,
"signed": null,
"state": null,
"edition": null,
"standardreferencenumber": "DOC 3.1, 2.2 (p. 463)",
"dimensions": "4.42 g",
"copyright": null,
"creditline": "Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore",
"department": "Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics",
"division": "Asian and Mediterranean Art",
"contact": "am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu",
"description": "Obv.: Bust of Christ (Type Vc) facing, bearded, with cross behind head, wearing tunic and himation; r. hand raised in gesture of blessing in front of body, l. hand holding a book from beneath.\r\n\r\nRev.: Two busts facing, Michael on l., bearded, wearing chlamys and crown with cross; Theodora on r., larger, wearing loros and crown with pendilia, two pinnacles and cross. Above, cross.",
"provenance": null,
"commentary": null,
"labeltext": null,
"imagecount": 3,
"mediacount": 0,
"colorcount": 6,
"markscount": 0,
"peoplecount": 2,
"titlescount": 1,
"publicationcount": 2,
"exhibitioncount": 1,
"contextualtextcount": 0,
"groupcount": 1,
"relatedcount": 0,
"totalpageviews": 1377,
"totaluniquepageviews": 1145,
"dateoffirstpageview": "2009-12-02",
"dateoflastpageview": "2025-12-09",
"verificationlevel": 3,
"verificationleveldescription": "Good. Object is well described and information is vetted",
"imagepermissionlevel": 0,
"lendingpermissionlevel": 0,
"accesslevel": 1,
"accessionmethod": "Bequest",
"rank": 163,
"url": "https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/168614",
"createdate": "2002-08-08T00:00:00-04:00",
"lastupdate": "2025-12-13T04:29:32-05:00",
"details": {
"coins": {
"reverseinscription": "+MIXAHLSThetaE OdeltaORA",
"dieaxis": "6",
"metal": "AV",
"obverseinscription": "IhSYSX RISTOS*",
"denomination": "solidus",
"dateonobject": null
}
},
"colors": [
{
"color": "#000000",
"spectrum": "#1eb264",
"hue": "Black",
"percent": 0.7524637681159421,
"css3": "#000000"
},
{
"color": "#af964b",
"spectrum": "#9ecb3b",
"hue": "Yellow",
"percent": 0.12144927536231884,
"css3": "#cd853f"
},
{
"color": "#967d32",
"spectrum": "#86c440",
"hue": "Yellow",
"percent": 0.1021256038647343,
"css3": "#a0522d"
},
{
"color": "#c89664",
"spectrum": "#ed7758",
"hue": "Brown",
"percent": 0.016328502415458936,
"css3": "#bdb76b"
},
{
"color": "#644b32",
"spectrum": "#59ba4a",
"hue": "Brown",
"percent": 0.005120772946859903,
"css3": "#556b2f"
},
{
"color": "#e1af7d",
"spectrum": "#ef7a55",
"hue": "Orange",
"percent": 0.00251207729468599,
"css3": "#deb887"
}
],
"exhibitions": [
{
"begindate": "2002-10-25",
"enddate": "2003-04-28",
"citation": "<em>Byzantine Women and Their World</em>, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 10/25/2002 - 04/28/2003",
"exhibitionid": 2788,
"title": "Byzantine Women and Their World"
}
],
"groupings": [
{
"groupid": 2039923,
"name": "Collection Highlights"
}
],
"images": [
{
"date": "2005-03-02",
"copyright": "President and Fellows of Harvard College",
"imageid": 61511,
"idsid": 2565600,
"format": "image/jpeg",
"description": null,
"technique": null,
"renditionnumber": "COIN12474",
"displayorder": 1,
"baseimageurl": "https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:huam:COIN12474_dynmc",
"alttext": null,
"width": 2550,
"publiccaption": null,
"iiifbaseuri": "https://ids.lib.harvard.edu/ids/iiif/2565600",
"height": 1188
},
{
"date": "2001-12-01",
"copyright": "President and Fellows of Harvard College",
"imageid": 133082,
"idsid": 17804012,
"format": "image/jpeg",
"description": null,
"technique": null,
"renditionnumber": "70492",
"displayorder": 2,
"baseimageurl": "https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUAM:70492_dynmc",
"alttext": null,
"width": 1007,
"publiccaption": "obverse",
"iiifbaseuri": "https://ids.lib.harvard.edu/ids/iiif/17804012",
"height": 1024
},
{
"date": "2001-12-01",
"copyright": "President and Fellows of Harvard College",
"imageid": 133083,
"idsid": 17804013,
"format": "image/jpeg",
"description": null,
"technique": null,
"renditionnumber": "70493",
"displayorder": 3,
"baseimageurl": "https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUAM:70493_dynmc",
"alttext": null,
"width": 1024,
"publiccaption": "reverse",
"iiifbaseuri": "https://ids.lib.harvard.edu/ids/iiif/17804013",
"height": 937
}
],
"primaryimageurl": "https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:huam:COIN12474_dynmc",
"people": [
{
"role": "Coin Constituent",
"birthplace": null,
"gender": "unknown",
"displaydate": "r. 842 - 867",
"prefix": "Issued by",
"culture": "Byzantine",
"displayname": "Issued by Michael III",
"alphasort": "Michael III",
"name": "Michael III",
"personid": 20472,
"deathplace": null,
"displayorder": 1
},
{
"role": "Coin Constituent",
"birthplace": null,
"gender": "female",
"displaydate": "r. 830 - 856",
"prefix": null,
"culture": "Byzantine",
"displayname": "Augusta Theodora",
"alphasort": "Augusta Theodora",
"name": "Augusta Theodora",
"personid": 22881,
"deathplace": null,
"displayorder": 2
}
],
"places": [
{
"displayname": "Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe, Constantinople (Thrace)",
"confidence": null,
"placeid": 2028640,
"type": "Creation Place"
}
],
"publications": [
{
"publicationplace": "Washington, D.C",
"volumetitle": null,
"citation": "Alfred R. Bellinger, ed., <em>Catalogue of Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection</em>, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library & Collection (Washington, D.C, 1992)",
"publicationyear": 1992,
"citationremarks": null,
"pagenumbers": "vol. 3, part 1, 463, cat. 2.2, pl. 28",
"format": "Book",
"publicationid": 5036,
"title": "Catalogue of Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection",
"volumenumber": null,
"publicationdate": "1992"
},
{
"publicationplace": "Cambridge, MA",
"volumetitle": null,
"citation": "Ioli Kalavrezou, <em>Byzantine Women and Their World</em>, exh. cat., Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2003)",
"publicationyear": 2003,
"citationremarks": null,
"pagenumbers": "p. 96/figs. 37a, 37b",
"format": "Exhibition Catalogue",
"publicationid": 10317,
"title": "Byzantine Women and Their World",
"volumenumber": null,
"publicationdate": "2003"
}
],
"terms": {
"century": [
{
"name": "8th century",
"id": 37525707
}
],
"culture": [
{
"name": "Byzantine",
"id": 37527066
}
],
"medium": [
{
"name": "Metal",
"id": 2028222
},
{
"name": "AV",
"id": 2029738
}
],
"place": [
{
"name": "Ancient & Byzantine World",
"id": 2028220
},
{
"name": "Europe",
"id": 2028226
},
{
"name": "Constantinople (Thrace)",
"id": 2028640
}
]
},
"titles": [
{
"titletype": "Title",
"titleid": 643113,
"displayorder": 1,
"title": "Solidus of Michael III and Theodora, Constantinople"
}
],
"title": "Solidus of Michael III and Theodora, Constantinople",
"worktypes": [
{
"worktypeid": "100",
"worktype": "coin"
}
],
"seeAlso": [
{
"id": "https://iiif.harvardartmuseums.org/manifests/object/168614",
"type": "IIIF Manifest",
"format": "application/json",
"profile": "http://iiif.io/api/presentation/2/context.json"
}
],
"coinObv": "Bust of Christ (Type Vc) facing, bearded, with cross behind head, wearing tunic and himation; r. hand raised in gesture of blessing in front of body, l. hand holding a book from beneath.",
"coinRev": "Two busts facing, Michael on l., bearded, wearing chlamys and crown with cross; Theodora on r., larger, wearing loros and crown with pendilia, two pinnacles and cross. Above, cross.",
"provenancecount": 0
}