Bracteate

Art Historical Context

This exquisite Frankish bracteate, a tiny gold medallion the 6th century), exemplifies the masterful metalwork of early medieval Europe. Measuring just 1 x 3/8 inches (2.6 x 0.9 cm), it features a delicate gold sheet over a copper alloy core, remnants of an iron pin suggesting it was worn as a pendant or brooch. Such bracteates were prestige items, crafted with fine hammering techniques to create thin, shimmering disks that caught the light, symbolizing wealth and status among Frankish elites during the Migration Period. In the turbulent post-Roman world, the Franks emerged as a dominant forc...