Disk Brooch
Unknown Artist
ca. 500–600
Medium
Silver, glass paste, remnant of iron pin, metal foil
Dimensions
Overall: 5/8 x 5/16 in. (1.6 x 0.8 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
17.192.40
Art Historical Context
This delicate Disk Brooch, crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan around 500–600 CE, offers a glimpse into the vibrant of early medieval Europe during the Merovingian period. Hailing from the Frankish culture that dominated much of Gaul after the fall of Rome, brooches were practical fasteners for cloaks and garments but also served as symbols of status and wealth. petite size—barely more than half an inch across—highlights the remarkable skill of ancient metalworkers, who transformed humble materials into wearable treasures. Made of silver with glass paste inlays mimicking precious gems, rem...