Disk Brooch
Unknown Artist
6th century
Medium
Silver-gilt on iron core, metal foil, inlaid garnet or paste
Dimensions
Overall: 7/8 x 1/4 in. (2.2 x 0.6 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
17.191.11
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Disk Brooch, crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan in the 6th, exemplifies the masterful metalwork of early Medieval Europe. Measuring just 7/8 x 1/4 inches (2.2 x 0.6 cm), this jewel was likely used to fasten cloaks or garments, serving both practical and decorative purposes. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art Department, it entered the collection as a gift from J Pierpont Morgan in 7, highlighting its enduring allure. The brooch's construction reveals sophisticated techniques: a sturdy iron core sheathed in silver-gilt—silver coated with a thin layer of gold for ...