![]() ![]() The art of the period has come to be appreciated as a subtle, multi-layered, and learned response to an array of stimuli springing from the political and cultural complexities of the times. Intellectually, our appreciation of the visual culture that developed in Britain and Ireland has advanced and matured considerably in recent times thanks to a number of important scholarly contributions, 1 so that rather than a stagnant “Dark Ages”, the early Middle Ages are now widely perceived as interesting times of change and development. However, as shall be argued, there is far more than looks to the early coins, and indeed more than aesthetic concerns when considering them. In truth, if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it must be admitted that very often considerable effort is necessary in order to begin to perceive their “iconography”, let alone “beauty”. The apparent clumsiness of execution of early coins commonly engenders amused curiosity, if not bafflement, especially when they are compared to Greek, Roman, or later medieval specimens, which more readily match classically trained visual sensibilities. The richly imaginative and creative art of Anglo-Saxon England requires equal testing and stretching of traditional models of aesthetics. It must be conceded that people unfamiliar with the period may find their conventional notions of aesthetics uncomfortably challenged when beholding early coinage. They did so in a manner that was visually interesting, pleasing, and intellectually stimulating. ![]() It will become apparent that, although simply reproducing some passable imitations could have been an option, the true merit of Anglo-Saxon coin-makers is to be found in their active response to the challenge of having to fit in with established models while making sure that their creations remained meaningful in their own culture. This chapter will explore the ways in which the Anglo-Saxons rose to the challenge of establishing their own independent coinage, as well as the ways in which conceptual drives and resonances directed their iconographic choices. Much depends on our definition of art – which, for the purpose of this work, will be concerned on the one hand with creative responses and the translation of abstract concepts in the coins, and on the other with their intellectual significance. The first question we may want to address is whether we are at all justified in exploring these coins through the lens of art, as opposed to regarding them as interesting archaeological/antiquarian artefacts. In an age of ambition and complexity, with a richly diverse visual vocabulary to be drawn on, such a creative response makes “art in the round” an apt label for Anglo-Saxon coins. ![]() In the light of the tumultuous changes of the period in question and the tension between the weight of tradition on one hand, versus the drive towards innovation, creativity, and experimentation on the other, it will offer an overview and commentary concentrating in particular on what shaped the all-important visual elements which were drawn on as sources and signifiers of power, including inscriptions. Through the discussion of a number of case-studies, the aim of this chapter is to consider the development of early Anglo-Saxon coinage in the crucial period between the 7th and 8th centuries by focusing on the exploration of iconographic choices as artistic responses to specific political and commercial needs within a particular historical, cultural, and social context. The relationship between money and art is therefore a pivotal one to examine in a volume that explores the roles that money and coinage play in society. and minted to very precise weight standards, are powerfully characterized by the protome of a roaring lion, a symbol of the issuing authority. The electrum coins from Lydia, dated to the 7th century B.C. Reflecting on the intellectual leap of imagination achieved in the transition from weighing bullion to trusting coins, it is the iconography that acts as guarantor of fair play and that expresses authority, as is apparent from the earliest coins known. We take it for granted that coins bear images, but we rarely stop to think what an intimate connection actually exists between money and art: it is the design hammered into a blob of metal that turns it into a coin. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |