Disk Brooch
Unknown Artist
ca. 550–600
Medium
Copper alloy, silver wire, glass paste, remnant of iron pin
Dimensions
Overall: 1 1/4 x 3/8 in. (3.1 x 1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Copper alloy
Culture
Frankish or Northern French
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.192.17
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Disk Brooch, crafted around 550–600 CE by an unknown Frankish or Northern French artisan, offers a glimpse into the daily elegance of early medieval Europe during the Merovingian period Measuring just 1¼ x ⅜ inches, these small, circular fasteners were essential accessories, used to secure cloaks or garments with a now-remnant iron pin. As part of the Frankish cultural sphere—spanning modern-day France, Germany, and beyond—such brooches symbolized both practicality and subtle status, worn by men and women alike in a world transitioning from Roman traditions to Germanic influence...