Buckle

Art Historical Context

This exquisite Frankish buckle, crafted in the mid-6th century, offers a glimpse into the daily life and artistry of the early Merovingian period. Belonging to the Frankish culture—a Germanic people who dominated much of western Europe after the fall of Rome—this small metalwork piece (just 1 3/16 x 13/16 x 1/4 inches) likely adorned a belt or strap, serving both practical and decorative purposes. Its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art Department, gifted by J. Pierpont Morgan in 1917, highlights its value as a rare survivor from an era of transition between antiquity and...