Spoon with Palm Fronds
Unknown Artist
5th–6th century
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 9 1/2 x 1 3/4 x 7/8 in. (24.2 x 4.5 x 2.3 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1913
Accession Number
13.42.1d
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of Byzantine craftsmanship with *Spoon with Palm Fr*, a delicate silver utensil from the 5th–6th century. Measuring a slender 9½ inches long, this artifact hails from the early Byzantine Empire, a era when Constantinople bridged classical antiquity and medieval Christianity. Crafted by an unknown artisan, it exemplifies the refined metalwork produced for elite households or ecclesiastical use, where everyday objects doubled as symbols of faith and status. The spoon's bowl and handle are adorned with palm fronds, a motif rich in cultural resonance. In Byzantine art,...