What Is It?

PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

1. Ceremonial bell
2. Steelyard weight
3. Boat decoration
4. Roman fishing hook
5. Ancient Christmas ornament

Answer: (2) Steelyard weight

This substantial weight, 9.5 inches tall and weighing about 5 pounds, may depict an empress of the Theodosian Dynasty, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 379 to 450 CE. Shaping such a weight into the bust of an empress was a common Byzantine practice, especially during the fifth to seventh centuries.

The woman holds a scroll in her left hand, while her right hand is just visible on the inside of her robe. Her hairstyle, with braids looped up on the sides of her head, reflects a style popular in late antiquity. She wears a heavily bejeweled diadem and necklace. The bust sits on a large plinth that serves as the base of the weight.

The quality of this piece is particularly noteworthy, with a rare degree of detail and sensitivity in the depiction of the face, hair, jewelry, and clothing. The eyes exhibit a realism that is usually not seen in the vacant gazes of other such weights.

The weight would have been used in conjunction with a steelyard, a long metal arm that was ruled with weight markings along its length. A commodity would be hung at one end, and on the other end the weight could be moved along the ruled section to create balance, thereby establishing the weight and value of the commodity.