Badge of the Order of the Garter
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Gold, enamel
Dimensions
3 1/4 × 1 1/2 in. (8.3 × 3.8 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.890
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 18th-century Badge of the Order of thearter, crafted in gold and enamel, exemplifies the of British metalwork from the European Decorative Arts tradition. Measuring 3¼ × 1½ inches, its petite scaleies its grandeur, designed a wearable insignia for one of England's most elite chivalric orders. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in1917 by J. Pierpont Morgan, it now in the Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts. Founded by King Edward III in 1348, the Order of the Garter remains Britain's oldest and most prestigious order of knighthood, symbolizing loyalty, courage...