Bird-Shaped Brooch
Unknown Artist
ca. 500–550
Medium
Silver-gilt
Dimensions
Overall: 13/16 x 1/2 x 1/4 in. (2.1 x 1.2 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
17.191.75
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Bird-Shaped Brooch crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan around 500–550 CE, the refined metalworking of the early Merovingian period. Made of silver-gilt—a technique where a thin layer of gold is applied over silver for a luxurious sheen—the brooch measures just /16 x 1/2 x 1/4 inches, small enough to fasten a garment yet striking in its zoomorphic design. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval department (gift of J. Pierpont, 1917), it reflects the Frankish people's skill in blending functionality with artistry during the turbulent post-Roman era. Bird motifs wer...