Spherical Pendant or Button
Unknown Artist
900–950
Medium
Cloisonné enamel and gold
Dimensions
Overall: 1 1/4 x 1 1/8 in. (3.2 x 2.9 cm)
Classification
Enamels-Cloisonné
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Kurt Berliner Foundation Gift, 2003
Accession Number
2003.155
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Spherical Pendant or Button crafted around 900–950 during the Byzantine Empire's golden age, exemplifies the era's masterful metalwork and enameling. Measuring just ¼ x 1⅛ inches, this diminutive gold sphere—likely worn as a pendant or fastening on elite garments—showcases the technical virtuosity of Byzantine artisans. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Department, it was acquired through the Kurt Berliner Foundation Gift in 2003. The object's medium, cloisonné enamel and gold, highlights a sophisticated technique where thin gold wires (cloisons) form compart...