Disk Brooch
Unknown Artist
late 6th–early 7th century
Medium
Gold, wire, paste, paste cabochon or garnet, copper alloy rim and nail
Dimensions
Overall: 1 x 5/16 in. (2.6 x 0.8 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold
Culture
Frankish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.191.157
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Disk Brooch, crafted by an unknown Frankish artisan in the late 6th to early 7th century exemplifies the refined metalworking of early medieval Europe. just 1 x 5/16 inches (2.6 x 0.8 cm), this tiny jewel was likely used to fasten cloaks or garments, serving both practical and decorative purposes as a status symbol among the Frankish elite. Fashioned from gold with delicate wire elements, paste (a glass material mimicking gems), a paste cabochon or garnet and a copper alloy rim nail, it showcases the era's sophisticated techniques for creating luminous, jewel-like effects on a m...