Disk Brooch
Unknown Artist
first half 6th century
Medium
Silver-gilt, garnets with patterned foil backings.
Dimensions
Overall: 1 7/16 x 1/4 in. (3.6 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
17.191.38
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Disk Brooch, crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan in the first half of the th century, exemplifies theulent metalwork of the early Merovingian period. Measuring just 1 7/16 x 1/4 inches, this small yet striking piece was likely used to fasten cloaks or garments, serving as both a practical accessory and a symbol of status among Frankish nobility. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Medieval Art department, it entered the collection as a gift from J Pierpont Morgan in 7. The brooch's medium—silver-gilt adorned with garnets backed by patterned foil—highlights sophisticated...