S-Shaped Brooch
Unknown Artist
first half 6th century
Medium
Silver-gilt
Dimensions
Overall: 1 x 9/16 x 1/4 in. (2.6 x 1.5 x 0.7 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
17.192.39
Art Historical Context
This delicate S-Shaped Brooch crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan in the first half of the 6th century, exemplifies the exquisite metalwork of early medieval Europe. Measuring just 1 x 9/16 x 1/4 inches (2.6 x 1.5 x 0.7 cm), its sinuous form—typical of Frankish jewelry—likely served as a fastener, blending practicality with ornamental flair. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art Department (gift of J. Pierpont, 1917), it reflects the Merovingian-era Frankish culture, which flourished in what is now France and Germany after the fall of Rome. Frankish brooches like this one were sta...