Rosette Brooch
Unknown Artist
500–700
Medium
Copper alloy, glass cabochon, iron pin
Dimensions
Overall: 7/8 x 9/16 in. (2.2 x 1.4 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
17.191.300
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval collection, this delicate Rosette Brooch exemplifies Frankish metalwork from the early Middle Ages, dating to 500–700 CE.ed from copper alloy with a vibrant glass cabochon at its center and an iron pin fastening, it measures just 7/ x 9/16 inches—perfect for personal adornment on cloaks or tunics. The rosette design, evoking a blooming flower, reflects the intricate motifs popular among the Franks, a Germanic people who dominated much of western Europe after the fall of Rome. Frankish jewelry like this brooch was more than decorative; it si...