Bird-Shaped Brooch
Unknown Artist
500–550
Medium
Silver-gilt, garnets; no spring/pin extant
Dimensions
Overall: 11/16 x 1 1/4 x 1/4 in. (1.7 x 3.1 x 0.7 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
Anglo-Saxon
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.191.74
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Bird-Shaped Brooch, around 500–550 CE the Anglo-Saxon period, the masterful metalwork of early medieval England. Fashioned from silver-gilt—a technique where a thin layer of gold was applied over silver for a luxurious sheen—and adorned with vibrant garnets, the brooch measures just 11/16 x 1 1/4 inches. Originally functional as a garment fastener, its spring and pin are now lost, leaving us to admire its delicate form as a standalone treasure. In Anglo-Saxon culture, bird motifs like this one held symbolic power, often evoking protection, the soul's flight, or elite status amo...