Words and Coins: From Ancient Greece to Byzantium

From Hellenic Greece to Rome and Byzantium, coins functioned in part as narrative objects, engraved with images of gods and lords, planets and cities, heroes and legends. Words and Coins analyzes these copper coins in their relation to Western folklore, myth and literature, spanning the fifth century BC to the fifteenth century. Examining books and manuscripts, as well as other artifacts, the catalogue highlights and elaborates on the ongoing complex relationship between the language arts and image-making. Words and Coins examines how the two media resemble, differ and complement each other, and how their respective messages were distributed in human societies throughout the ages. This gorgeous publication, edited by Belgium-based design studio Luc Derycke, contains a photographic essay by photographer Laziz Hamani.