Research Symposium

BIO

Leasah Jean-Francois is a Senior Art History student minoring in Museum Studies. She is currently pursuing an Honors in the Major thesis on the Christian iconography on the Gold Solidus of Justinian II under the mentorship of Dr. Lynn Jones. Leasah previously conducted international research through the Global Scholars program and was a 20205 Gilman International Scholarship recipient.

The Face of Christ: Early Christian Iconography on Byzantine Coins

Abstract

My Honors in the Major project examines the depictions of Christ on two Byzantine coin types by Justinian II (685-95, 705-711). The first coin, Type A was minted during the first reign of Justinian circa 692-95 and the second coin type was minted during his second reign circa 705-711. The coins of Type A feature characteristics of an older, Greco-Roman depiction of Christ. However, the later coins of Type B depict Christ as a younger figure with more eastern characteristics, such as the curly hair and triangular shaped head. Most scholarship discusses various reasons for why Justinian II chose to change the depiction from the mature type to the more youthful type. In my paper I argue Justinian’s design was concerned with depicting an accurate representation of Christ ethnically to align with the context of the empire at the time. Furthermore, I’ll elaborate how the design later influenced other representations of Christ throughout the empire. Through the canons from the Council of Trullo, formal analysis and comparison of the coin types, and consideration of previous scholarship on Justinian's coins, I will provide evidence that recognizes the cultural climate of the empire and support my arguments.

Keywords: Byzantine Coins, Iconography, Christ