Equal-Arm Brooch
Unknown Artist
ca. 650–750
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
Overall: 1 7/8 x 1/2 x 5/16 in. (4.8 x 1.2 x 0.8 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
17.193.235
Art Historical Context
This delicate Equal-Arm Brooch crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan around 650–750 CE, exemplifies the refined metalworking of early medieval Europe. Made from copper alloy and measuring just 1 7/8 x 1/2 x 5/16 inches, its symmetrical design—two equal arms meeting at a central point with a pin mechanism—served as both a practical garment fastener and a subtle status symbol. Frankish culture, flourishing in what is now France and Germany the Merovingian period produced such jewelry to secure cloaks or tunics, blending everyday utility with artistic expression. The brooch's copper alloy mediu...