Artwork Page for Balance Weight formed as the Bust of an Empress

Details / Information for Balance Weight formed as the Bust of an Empress

Balance Weight formed as the Bust of an Empress

27 BCE–14 CE

Roman, Augustan period

Medium
bronze
Measurements
Overall: 10.1 x 5.4 x 5.6 cm (4 x 2 1/8 x 2 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1967.28
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

Among the most striking Byzantine weights to have survived are the imperial weights issued in the late 4th and 5th centuries. Typically they depict the same royal figures seen on coins to promote the legitimacy and stability of the state and to guarantee their validity as "honest weights." Used on balance scales, the weights were sometimes filled with lead to make them heavier.
A dark bronze sculpture depicts a woman from the shoulders up, facing directly forward. She has large eyes, a straight nose, and a closed mouth. Her hair is styled in thick, vertical segments secured by a narrow band, with braids hanging beside her neck. A small metal loop rises from the crown of her head. The weathered bronze has a smooth surface showing greenish-black tones.

Balance Weight formed as the Bust of an Empress

27 BCE–14 CE

Roman, Augustan period

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