Earring
Unknown Artist
7th century
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
Overall: 1 3/16 x 1 1/8 x 1/4 in. (3 x 2.8 x 0.6 cm) bead: 3/8 x 1/4 in. (0.9 x 0.6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Copper alloy
Culture
Frankish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.193.58
Art Historical Context
This delicate copper alloy earring, crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan in the 7th century, a glimpse into the everyday adornments of early medieval Europe. Measuring just 1 3/16 x 1 1/8 x 1/4 inches overall—with a small bead of 3/8 x 1/4 inches—it exemplifies the intricate metalwork produced during the Merovingian, when the Franks ruled much of what is now France and Germany. Such earrings were likely worn as earrings or pendants, pinned or looped through fabric or hair, reflecting personal style and social status in a warrior society transitioning from late antiquity. Frankish jewelry li...