Dagger Blade
Unknown Artist
500–600
Medium
Iron
Dimensions
Overall: 6 1/8 x 1 x 3/8 in. (15.5 x 2.6 x 1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Iron
Culture
Frankish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.193.55
Art Historical Context
This slender iron dagger blade, forged by an unknown Frankish artisan around 500–600 CE, offers a glimpse into the martial world of the Merovingian Franks, the Germanic tribes who dominated much of early medieval Europe. Measuring just 6 1/8 x 1 x 3/8 inches (15.5 x 2.6 x 1 cm), its compact form suggests it was designed for close combat or as a sidearm, perfectly suited to the daily life of warriors in what is now France and Germany. Crafted from iron—a material prized for its strength and availability—this piece exemplifies early medieval metalworking techniques, likely involving hammering an...