October 2012

The So-Called "Dollar of the Middle Ages": The Hyperpyron of Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180)

Lisa Wainwright — 2012-10-03T20:45:00Z

Cécile Morrisson

This large coin (31mm diameter; i.e., 25% larger than a quarter) shows the emperor wearing the ceremonial costume (an ornate chlamys with tablion and conspicuous border of dots, probably actual precious stones or glass pearls inserted into the silk mantle), holding a labarum scepter in his right hand and a globe with patriarchal cross in the left. (A similar globe is found on the Dumbarton Oaks marble roundel representing his father John II Komnenos.) The columnar legend, spread on several lines left and right, proclaims proudly “Manuel despot (= emperor) the porphyrogennitos,” stressing the legitimacy of the ruler. After his father John II, Manuel was the second of the dynasty to have been “born in the purple,” meaning the porphyry chamber of the Great Palace.

The inscription uses the dative case because it follows that on the obverse side of the coin, which invokes the protection of Christ for the emperor: “+Kyrie boethei.” The image of the youthful Christ, designated “Ho Emmanouel” on electrum coins of the reign, is a clear allusion to the name of the emperor—whom the encomiasts dared compare to Christ himself – and to his young age on this first issue of the reign. Born in 1118, Manuel was 24 at his accession.

: Obverse of the hyperpyron of Manuel I Komnenos.

Hyperpyron needs some explanation: a ready-made, popular etymology derived from “hyperpure” is pure fancy but not far off the mark. In fact, hyperpyron derives from “hyper” (above) and “pyr(on)” (fire), denoting that the coin’s metal has been refined over the fire. This method had been used for over two millenia, according to the technique of cupellation that the Romans and Byzantines had brought to near-perfection in the fourth century, attaining 99.9% purity, a degree that was only surpassed in the twentieth century. After the eleventh-century crisis, Alexios I—Manuel’s grandfather—had restored the debased nomisma to a standard of 20 ½ carats (85.5%). It was not of the purity of the earlier Byzantine gold, but still appreciable and comparable to several other Mediterranean currencies of the time, such as the morabitini and their Castillan imitations, the anfusini, or the earliest imitative dinars struck by the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem.

So, in the twelfth century, Byzantium’s gold money was still one of the “dollars of the Middle Ages,” to use the phrase coined by the great economic historian Robert Sabatino Lopez and further commented upon by Carlo Cipolla. Though perhaps not as widely distributed as previously supposed—since the name of bezant, bisantius, the Byzantine coin, had become a generic name in the eleventh century, and often designated the Almoravid gold dinar in documents—the hyperpyron dominated eastern Mediterranean long-distance trade and competed successfully with the Egyptian Fatimid issues. When going on Crusade, western princes assembled quantities of Byzantine gold in their war chests up until the thirteenth century.

Manuel’s issues were abundant and an instrument of his munificence. Sources abound in references to the emperor’s considerable gifts to westerners and Turks alike, following the long tradition of a diplomacy of the bezant, and supported by the development of Byzantium’s commerce and industry in the twelfth century. “Moved by the desire of glory . . . he aimed at emulating the ancient emperors, whose territories stretched not only from one sea to the other but from the limits of the East to the columns of the West (Gibraltar)” (Nicetas Choniates).

Dumbarton Oaks Purchases Humphry Repton Drawing

Lisa Wainwright — 2012-10-04T13:55:00Z

Dumbarton Oaks recently purchased an original drawing by Humphry Repton (1752–1818) of the front of the house and property for Strood Manor, Horsham, Sussex, ca. 1801. This is a companion piece to Repton’s illustration of the back of the house and property, already in the Dumbarton Oaks Rare Book Collection (below). Both drawings are pen-and-ink and watercolor, with yellow and gray wash borders and additional pen-and-ink outlines. They depict finished designs for improvements of Strood Manor and may have functioned as an abbreviated form of Repton’s Red Books. The drawing of the back of the house has the movable flap employed by Repton to depict the property before (below left) and, when lifted, after his suggested improvements (below right). John William Commerell purchased Strood Manor in 1801 and the drawings appear to depict an original architectural design that Repton undertook shortly after Commerell acquired the property.

Off the Press: Past Presented

Lisa Wainwright — 2012-10-04T14:30:20Z

Dumbarton Oaks Publications announces the publication of Past Presented: Archaeological Illustration and the Ancient Americas, edited by former Dumbarton Oaks Director of Pre-Columbian Studies, Joanne Pillsbury.

Illustrations remain one of the fundamental tools of archaeology, a means by which we share information and build ideas. Often treated as if they were neutral representations, archaeological illustrations are the convergence of science and imagination. This volume, a collection of fourteen essays addressing the visual presentation of the Pre-Columbian past from the fifteenth century to the present day, explores and contextualizes the visual culture of archaeological illustration, addressing the intellectual history of the field and the relationship of archaeological illustration to other scientific disciplines and the fine arts.

Water in the Garden

Lisa Wainwright — 2012-10-04T13:38:26Z

The Catalogue House, an octagonal stone building in the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, is dedicated to Charlotte and Vernon Kellogg, friends of Mr. and Mrs. Bliss. Vernon Kellogg was a professor of entomology at Stanford University and an important figure in the popularization of science and the early organization of the National Research Council. Herbert Hoover was his student at Stanford, and later appointed him director of the Commission for Relief in Belgium. The Catalogue House features a line of Charlotte Kellogg’s poetry, which rings the top of the interior wall. The structure was originally intended to serve an educational purpose by illustrating the various animals and plants encountered in the Garden.

The new exhibit in the Catalogue House focuses on “Water in the Garden.” The uses of water in the Dumbarton Oaks Garden are both functional and decorative. Beatrix Farrand’s work at Dumbarton Oaks incorporated existing “water elements,” such as the Lovers’ Lane Pool (left), into the design of the overall garden. Farrand also created a variety of fountains for specific locations, such as the Fountain and Arbor Terraces and the swimming pool. This exhibit covers four areas of the garden and provides a visual record of the evolution of their design.

Old Glyphs, New Findings

Lisa Wainwright — 2012-10-04T14:35:20Z

On Saturday, September 29, in conjunction with the special exhibition All Sides Considered, Dr. Alexandre Tokovinine gave an illustrated talk focused on a Maya panel featured in the exhibit. Recent research on the carved limestone panel in the Dumbarton Oaks Museum collection offers important new insights into the political turmoil that characterized the twilight of Classic Maya civilization. The Terminal Classic Period (A.D. 800-909) saw the demise of the great city of Palenque. In its wake, the neighboring city of Chancala rose to prominence. Glyphic decipherments and recent archaeological findings combine to suggest that the Dumbarton Oaks panel originated in Chancala at this time. Dr. Tokovinine’s talk detailed how 3-D optical imaging of the monument revealed previously-overlooked details of the carving. Examination of the panel's imagery and texts has provided intriguing new perspectives on Maya writing, politics, and beliefs.