Earring
Unknown Artist
6th–7th century
Medium
Gold, green and clear glass, pearls(?); hoop copper alloy or base silver
Dimensions
Overall: 2 5/8 x 2 3/8 x 5/8 in. (6.7 x 6.1 x 1.6 cm) bead: 11/16 x 5/8 in. (1.8 x 1.6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold
Culture
Frankish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.192.120
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Frankish earring from the 6th–7th offers a glimpse into the opulent world of early medieval Europe. Crafted during the Merian period, when the Franks dominated much of Gaul (modern France and Germany), such jewelry adorned the elite, symbolizing wealth and status. Found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art collection it measures a delicate 2⅝ x 2⅜ x ⅝ inches, with a prominent bead of about 11/16 x ⅝ inches, perfect for everyday wear yet lavish in design. The earring showcases masterful metalworking techniques typical of Frankish goldsmiths. Its hoop, likely copper a...