Coming soon - Head and Shoulders. Coins in Fashion
Coin images are among the smallest portraits in the world. Making use of extremely confined space, they show finely detailed half-length likenesses, usually in profile. The small size of coin portraits frequently calls for highly symbolic imagery. The hairstyles, garments, and accessories that are depicted go beyond being aesthetically pleasing add-ons: they reflect the Zeitgeist and open a window into the cultures of bygone ages.
Starting in November 2025, our upcoming special exhibition Head and Shoulders will present over a hundred coin portraits from a cultural-historical perspective and showcase fashion and lifestyle trends spanning several millennia. From opulent collars and symbolic headwear to hairstyles and beard trends as status symbols or precious self-expression – then as now, portraits served as a means of staging and representation. In the exhibition, selected coin and medal portraits provide insights into fashion history. They document how garments, accessories and hairstyles reflect the status of the depicted persons and how closely fashion is intertwined with the expression of identity.
Since the beginning of July, a new showcase has been offering a small preview of the upcoming exhibition and awaits you in the corridor on the second floor of the Kunsthistorisches Museum!
Image: Konrad Limbeck, KHM-Museumsverband
