Lead Ingot with Monograms

6th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301

Stamped with a Greek monogram that most likely reads "eparch of the city," this three-ounce ingot is probably a commodity marker, indicating that the city's eparch has inspected and approved the material.

In Byzantium, precise measurement of goods was achieved by a set of standard balance weights.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Lead Ingot with Monograms
Date: 6th century
Culture: Byzantine
Medium: Lead
Dimensions: 1/4 × 1 7/16 × 1 7/16 in., 2.8oz. (0.7 × 3.7 × 3.6 cm, 80g)
Classification: Metalwork-Lead
Credit Line: Purchase, Christopher C. Grisanti and Suzanne P. Fawbush, and Alastair B. Martin Gifts, 2002
Object Number: 2002.212
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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