Byzantine Bronze Trade Weight

$315.74

A Byzantine round trade weight in bronze: it is decorated with a Christian cross and two Greek gamma signs within a decorative chevron border. The underside of the weight is plain with a double grooved perimeter.

Date: Circa 10th - 12th Century AD
Condition: Very fine condition.

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SKU: AS-3169 Category: Tags: , ,

Sets of standard balance weights were used to weigh goods in the Byzantine world precisely. Weights produced during the Byzantine Era were made of gold, silver, bronze, lead, glass, and stone. Throughout the Middle Ages, bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) was rarely used, as the Byzantine Empire had lost most of its tin-producing provinces in the west during the fourth century AD. It has been suggested that disc weights gradually took over sphere weights until at least the early 9th century and possibly the 12th.

To disocver more about Byzantine art, please visit our relevant blog post: The Byzantine Empire, Art and Christianity.

 

Weight 80 g
Dimensions W 4.1 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

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