Earring
Unknown Artist
6th–7th century
Medium
Silver, traces of gilding, glass paste or garnet (?)
Dimensions
Overall: 1 9/16 x 1 7/16 x 9/16 in. (3.9 x 3.7 x 1.5 cm) bead: 9/16 x 9/16 in. (1.4 x 1.5 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
17.192.114
Art Historical Context
This delicate Frankish earring, crafted in the 6th–7th during the early Medieval period, offers a glimpse into the sophisticated metalworking traditions of the Franks—a Germanic people who established kingdoms across much of Western Europe after the fall of Rome. Measuring just 1 9/16 x 1 7/16 x 9/16 inches overall with a prominent bead of 9/16 x 9/16 inches, it exemplifies the intricate jewelry worn by elites in Merovingian society, likely as a symbol of status or adornment for both men and women. Forged from silver with traces of gilding for a luxurious golden sheen, the earring features po...