Bow Brooch
Unknown Artist
500–550
Medium
Silver-gilt, niello, garnets
Dimensions
Overall: 1 15/16 x 3 3/4 x 3/8 in. (4.9 x 9.5 x 1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
Frankish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.191.172
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Bow Brooch, crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan around 500–550 CE, offers a glimpse into the opulent world of the Merovingian, who dominated much of early medieval Europe. Measuring just under 4 inches wide, this delicate metalwork clasp was likely used to secure a cloak or garment, a practical yet prestigious accessory for the elite. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Medieval Art departmentthanks to a 1917 gift from J Pierpont Morgan—it exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Frankish jewelers during the Migration Period. Fashioned from silver-gilt, the brooch gleams...