MA, PhD Cantab, FSA, FHEA
Dottore in Lingue e Letterature Straniere, Università Cattolica, Milan (Italy)
Fellow Emerita of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge
Biography
I am a Fellow and the Director of Studies for History of Art at St Edmund's College and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Department of History of Art.
My principal research interests and publications are in Anglo-Saxon numismatics, Germanic and Insular art and culture and their response to Christianity. I am a contributor to the Visual Commentary on Scripture (King's College, London). Currently I am part of an Italo-Irish research group working on early Irish reliquaries found in Italy, and am working on the exegesis of imagined sacred landscapes through the sense of smell, as well as editing a collection of early medieval papers.
My first degree was in Italy: I studied Modern Languages and specialised in German Philology; subsequently I read History of Art at the University of Cambridge, with a PhD on the iconography of Early Anglo-Saxon coinage. My monograph was published by Oxford University Press in 2003.
Publications
Monographs:
- Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles, 63. British Museum. Anglo-Saxon Coins. Part i. Early Anglo-Saxon Coins and Continental Silver Coins of the North Sea, c.600-760, British Museum Publications, 2013. (British Academy Grant).
- The Iconography of Early Anglo-Saxon Coinage (6th-8th centuries),
Oxford University Press 2003. (Paperback reprint, 2010; Kindle edn. 2012).
Articles / Book Chapters:
2025
- ‘The Coins of the Irish Free State, 1928: are animals good to think with?’ in Le Molte Facce di una Moneta: Saggi in Onore di Lucia Travaini, Milano University Press, 2025, 109-26.
- ‘The Prophet Anna’- Luke 2:36-38, Contribution to Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS), Ben Quash ed., King’s College London https://thevcs.org/prophet-anna
2024
- ‘Salt and Light’ - Matthew 5:13–16’, Contribution to Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS), Ben Quash ed., King’s College London https://thevcs.org/salt-and-light
2022
- ‘Guarding the Sacred: early Anglo-Saxon cylindrical containers’ Atti del convegno ’Custodire il Sacro’, Vercelli, 11-12 Gennaio 2021, "Temporis Signa. Archeologia della tarda antichità e del medioevo", Fondazione Centro italiano di Studi sull'Alto Medioevo di Spoleto, number XVI 2021, 213-233
- ‘A Song of Thanksgiving: Psalm 147’ Contribution to Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS), Ben Quash ed., King’s College London https://thevcs.org/song-thanksgiving
2021
- ‘Blessed is the Mother – Luke11:27-8’ Contribution to Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS), Ben Quash ed., King’s College London https://thevcs.org/blessed-mother
2020
- ‘Insular numismatics: the relationship between ancient British and early Anglo-Saxon coins ‘, in Barbaric Splendor: the use of image in Europe before and after Rome, T.F. Martin and W.A. Morrison eds. Archeopress Publishing 2020, 121-139.
2019
- ‘The Altar of Incense - Exodus 30’, Contribution to Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS), Ben Quash ed., King’s College London. https://thevcs.org/altar-incense
2018
- ‘Art in the round: tradition and creativity in early Anglo-Saxon coinage’, in Money and Coinage in the Middle Ages, R. Naismith ed., Brill, 2019, 289-321
- ‘Firmly I believe and truly: religious iconography on early Anglo-Saxon sceattas’, in Divina Moneta - Coins in Religion and Ritual. N. M. Burström and G.Tarnow Ingvardson eds., Routledge, 2018, 125-141.
2017
- ‘The Ennabeuren reliquary casket: reckoning on redemption’. Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress on Insular Art ‘Islands in a Global Context’ NUI Galway, 16-20 July 2014. C. Newman, M.Mannion and F. Gavin eds., Four Court Press, 2017, 65-74.
2016
- ‘Early Anglo-Saxon Coins: Iconography and the Visual Imagination’, Anglo-Saxon Art and the Visual Imagination (Proceedings of the ISAS Conference, Madison 2011), J.D.Niles, S.S.Klein and J. Wilcox eds., ACMRS 2016, 99-114.
2015
- ‘Series X and its international framework: an art historical contribution to the study of early-medieval coinage’, in Golden Middle Ages in Europe. New Research into Early-Medieval Communities and Identities, Annemarieke Willemsen and Hanneke Kik( eds), Brepols 2015, 71-77.
- ‘Money, power and women: an inquiry into early Anglo-Saxon coinage’, in Medieval Coins and Seals: Constructing Identity, Signifying Power, Susan Solway ed., Brepols, 2015, 211-228.
2014
- ‘The iconography of Series M, variant and the Agnus Dei’, Early Medieval Monetary History Studies in Memory of Mark Blackburn, M. Allen, R. Naismith and E. Screen eds., Ashgate, 2014, 157-71.
2013
- ‘Lies, damned Lies and Iconography’, Making Histories (Proceedings of the Sixth International Insular Art Conference – York 2011), Jane Hawkes ed., Donnington, 2013, 291-302.
- ‘Architettura sulle monete anglosassoni del decimo secolo’, in Polis, urbs, civitas: moneta e identità. Atti del convegno di studio del Lexicon Iconographicum Numismaticae (Milano 25 ottobre 2012), L Travaini and G. Arrigoni eds., Rome 2013, 177-189.
2012
- ‘The Double life of Aufret – revealed’. The Antiquaries Journal, 92, 2012, 115-27.
- ‘Esseri o non esseri. Rappresentazioni di figure sulle prime monete anglosassoni’, Il Significato delle \immagini. Atti del secondo incontro internazionale di studio del Lexicon Iconographicum Numismaticae, R. Pera ed., Roma 2012, 365-71.
2011
- ‘Coins, images and tales from the holy land: questions of theology and orthodoxy’, in New perspectives. Studies in Early Medieval Coinage, 2, T Abramson, ed. Woodbridge 2011, 88-103.
2009
- ‘... And Pretty Coins All in a Row’, Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 16, H. Hamerow and L. Webster eds., Oxford 2009, 13-18.
2008
- ‘Series K: Eclecticism and entente cordiale’, Two Decades of Discovery. Studies in Early Medieval Coinage, 1, T. Abramson ed., Woodbridge, 2008, 45-52.
- ‘A Chip off the Rood’, in Cross and Culture in Anglo-Saxon England, Karen Louise Jolly, Catherine E. Karkov and Sarah Larratt Keefer, eds. Morgantown, WV, 2008, 153-71.
2007
- ‘Three coins in a fountain’ (proceedings of the Caput Urbium session, 2002 - IMC Leeds conference) Roma Felix — Formation and Reflections of Medieval Rome, É. Ó Carragáin and C Neuman de Vegvar (eds.) Ashgate, 2007, 287-306.
- ‘Pushing Boundaries: some Anglo-Saxon Zoomorphic Metalwork’ (proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Insular Art ‘Making and Meaning’ Trinity College, Dublin 25-28 August 2005), R. Moss ed., Dublin 2007, 40-49.
2006
- ‘Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery’, in Coinage and History in the North Sea World (c.500-1250), B. Cook and G. Williams eds., Brill, Leiden 2006, 193-208.
- ‘The Five Senses and Anglo-Saxon Coinage’, Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 13, Oxford, S. Semple ed., 2006, 97-104.
- ‘I Signori degli Anelli: confronti e prospettive’, Anulus sui effigii Identità e rappresentazione negli anelli-sgillo longobardi (Atti della giornata di studio, Milano Università Cattolica, 29 Aprile 2004) S. Lusuardi Siena ed., Milan 2006, 3-11.
2005
- ‘Riches in Heaven and on Earth: some thoughts on the iconography of coinage at the time of Æthelbald’ in Æthelbald and Offa. Two Eighth-Century Kings of Mercia Papers from a Conference held in Manchester in 2000 Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies, D. Hill and M. Worthington eds., BAR British Series 383, 2005, 133-8.
2004
- ‘Quando una Tradizione è una Novità: le prime monete Anglosassoni’, in La Tradizione Iconica come Fonte Storica, LIN, Maria Caccamo Caltabiano, Daniele Castrizio, Mariangela Puglisi eds., Reggio Calabria, 2004, 517-27.
- ‘Animali sulle prime monete Anglosassoni. Simboli di potere spirituale o temporale?’, in L’immaginario e il potere nell’iconografia monetale, monetale’ Dossier di lavoro del seminario di studi LIN, Milano 11 Marzo 2004, Società Numismatica Italiana - Collana di Numismatica e Scienze Affini, Milano 2004, 153-160.
2003
- ‘The Anglo-Saxons: The Not-So-Dark Ages’, Saxon, Newsletter Sutton Hoo Society no. 38, 2003.
2002
- ‘King of all Beasts – Beast of all Kings. Lions in Anglo-Saxon Coinage and Art’, Medieval Animals - Archaeological Review from Cambridge, vol. 18, ed. A. Pluskowski, Cambridge 2002, 22-36.
- ‘Two small hoards of William I’ (with G. Williams) British Numismatic Journal 2001, vol.71, 2002, 162-4.
1980
- ‘La formula anglosassone delle nove erbe’, Ævum, Rassegna di Scienze storiche linguistiche e filologiche, LIV, Università Cattolica, Milan 1980, 283-6 (as Anna Giraudo).
Book Reviews :
Medieval Archaeology 2021, vol. 65/1 Peopling Insular Art. Practice, Performance, Perception. Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Insular Art, Glasgow 2017. C.Thickpenny, K. Forsyth, J.Geddes & K. Mathis (eds.). Oxbow Books, 2020, 185-87.
Early Medieval Europe 2019: Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles, 69. The Abramson Collection. Coins of Early Anglo-Saxon England and the North Sea Area. By Tony Abramson. London 2018
Early Medieval Europe 2018: Crossing Boundaries: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Art, Material Culture, Language and Literature of the Early Medieval World. E.Cambridge and J. Hawkes eds.. Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow Books. 2017.
Early Medieval Europe 2017: The Art, Literature and Material Culture of the Medieval World. Transition, Transformation and Taxonomy. M. Boulton and J.Hawkes, with M.Herman, eds. Dublin: Four Courts Press. 2015.
The Medieval Review, Indiana University 2012: Coz, Yann. Rome en Angleterre. L'image de la Rome antique dans l'Angleterre anglo-saxonne, du VIIe siècle à 1066 Bibliothèque D'Histoire Médiévale, 5: Garnier, 2011.
The Antiquaries Journal 2010: Metal Detecting and Archaeology. S. Thomas and P. G. Stone, eds. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2009. The ‘Heritage Matters’ Series, vol 2.
Further Editorial Work :
(forthcoming : Luceat Lux Vestra: Essays in Honour of Michelle P. Brown)
- Treasure Annual Report 2003 – Department of Culture, Media and Sport, London 2005 (as general editor and contributor for the Departments of Coins & Medals and Prehistory & Europe of the British Museum).
- Treasure Annual Report 2002 – Department of Culture, Media and Sport, London 2004 (as general editor and contributor for the Departments of Coins & Medals and Prehistory & Europe of the British Museum).
