Disk Brooch
Unknown Artist
6th century
Medium
Silver, parcel gilt, foil and wire, glass paste or garnet
Dimensions
Overall: 1 1/16 x 3/8 in. (2.7 x 1 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
17.193.285
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Disk Brooch, crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan in the 6th century, the masterful metalwork of the early medieval Merovingian period. Measuring just 1 1/16 x 3/8 inches (2.7 x 1 cm), this tiny silver treasure—parcel gilt for a shimmering gold accent—was likely worn as a cloak fastener by a member of the elite. Frankish culture, emerging from the ruins of the Roman Empire in what is now France and Germany, blended Germanic traditions with lingering classical influences, and such brooches served as both practical adornments and symbols of status. The brooch's artistry shines ...